Passion: Its pretty Fun

There are always select songs and bands that really capture and hold the cultures attention for a period of time. Over the last two years, the music of Fun has held this position, filling dance floors, blasting from car stereos, and being sung wherever a youthful person can be found. Fun’s indie/alternative style is played without end, radio stations playing one of their top songs “Some Nights,” seven or eight times a day, and put a background music for various school projects and home videos. In my old school district, two high schools played Fun in senior class videos, giving a sentimental feeling to the presentation. I am pretty sure that the instrumental to “Some Nights” was played at least once during every Penn State Football game this fall. Fun just has a way of getting into everything and everywhere.
The band has released two albums Aim and Ignite (2009) and the very popular Some Nights (2011), producing hit songs like “We are Young” “Some Nights” “Carry On” and “All the Pretty Girls.” Fun’s hit songs are very similar to rock ballads in formatting, but have the indie style infused into the music. The openings to songs like “We are Young” and “Some Nights” begin quite soft, and end up with very powerful lyrics and instrumentals. “We are Young” has a steady drum beat to start it off, giving a marching sense to the music, preparing the listener for something big to happen. The drum grabs the listener’s attention as it plays into the song like a small rock starts down a hill to start a rockslide. The piano and vocals then chime in; a lovely sounding melody is created with a cheery tone. The music stops, and the lead singer, Nate Ruess, softly continues to sing, trailing off for a second, and then it hits you. The heavy rock ballad kicks in, the drums crash down rhythmically, the piano gives a quicker, happier tune in the back, and Nate belts out the chorus. The entire Chorus, and the rest of the song for that matter, just overpowers listeners with a “let’s get t it” kind of feel, inspiring the listener with the indie crescendo. “Some Night” follows a similar formula, opening with an emphasis on vocals and then hitting the track with instrumentals that reflect that of a warrior march to victory. The music of Fun is very much like a movie, with a climax, rising and falling action, and the gentle fade out. I think that because it is so empowering and has elements of a story, people listen to Fun to get that satisfied feeling of upbeat contentment. I just imagine being a pioneer, looking off into a vast, unexplored landscape whenever “Some Nights” comes on, or a party with close friends laughing hysterically in the moment when “We are Young” is played. There’s just a powerful, feel good presence brought through Fun’s music.
I know you most likely have heard Fun at least 100 times over the last year, and for many people, that’s enough to turn a good song into annoying noise. I hope that, if you take time away from Fun’s music, and come back with fresh ears, you could find some solace in their upbeat sound. I know I can’t listen to them now, but I can appreciate the quality of the music they play, and hopefully I’ll be able to come back after a break from their music and find their songs invigorating all over again.