Analysis Request #1: "Love is an Open Door" from Frozen

[THREAD] Intriguing! I never heard it that way. Here's a thread with some thoughts. What do others think? https://t.co/yWyhVNXoMH

— Disney Music Theory (@DisneyMusTheory) December 3, 2018

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[2] So, the song is in D major, a pretty happy key. The first verse is just variants on the I and V chords (very typical). The pre-chorus ("But with you...") introduces some minor chords, Bm and Em, which are sadder, but still within the key of D major. (continued...)

— Disney Music Theory (@DisneyMusTheory) December 3, 2018

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[3] Then we get to the chorus ("Love is an open doooooooor") and things get weird. It starts on a D major chord (of course, we're in D major) but then moves to an E Major 7 chord which is not part of the same key. It kind of feels like the magical key of D Lydian, not D Major.

— Disney Music Theory (@DisneyMusTheory) December 3, 2018

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[4] And after that weird Lydian twist, it moves from the E major 7 chord to a G minor 7 chord... which isn't part of EITHER happy D major OR magical D Lydian. Rather, it's a chord in sad D minor!

— Disney Music Theory (@DisneyMusTheory) December 3, 2018

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[5] That shift from an E major chord to a G minor chord is a special kind of shift, called a "doubly-chromatic mediant" shift. Such moves are often used in fantasy music to evoke a sudden, magical feel (like the shift from Anna's solo to Elsa's solo in "First Time in Forever.")

— Disney Music Theory (@DisneyMusTheory) December 3, 2018

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[6] So yeah, it's a really crazy chord progression, especially since the opening verse is harmonically so straight-forward. Does it foreshadow Hans's betrayal? Or is it just creating some emotional tension, because it's a love song? I don't know. Curious what others think!

— Disney Music Theory (@DisneyMusTheory) December 3, 2018

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Oops, I forgot to hashtag this thread! #DisneyMusicTheory There, that's better. ?

— Disney Music Theory (@DisneyMusTheory) December 3, 2018