Due to it being a recent term and movement, it suffers from a lack of definition, with many people disagreeing as to what makes an artist classical crossover or not. It is important to understand that the word “crossover” in the term should not be taken literally/ There is a distinct difference between “crossover” artists and “classical crossover” artists. “Crossover” is when an artist performs a certain type of music that is usually unpopular, but reaches a mass audience and achieves popularity.
The best example of this is when Luciano Pavorotti performed ‘Nessun Dorma’ in 1990 for the FIFA World Cup. Opera was considered a type of music for the elite, and yet Pavorotti, a qualified and active opera singer, went on to become a massive commercial success. Thus he ‘crossed over’ into the popular realm despite the fact that he did not perform popular music.
Classical crossover did, indeed, take root from the Pavorotti situation in the sense that it made people realise that classical music could sell, but the classical crossover “sound” did not come from Pavorotti. Classical crossover artists deliberately combine elements of pop music with classical, something that the likes of Pavorotti never did.
The musical conventions of classical crossover:
•Converting classical pieces into pop songs e.g. Vivaldi’s “Winter” from his Four Seasons was adapted to ’River of Dreams’ for Hayley Westenra’s album Pure.
•Converting pop songs into classical pieces, this is usually done by turning original pop vocals into operatic vocals, changing English lyrics to another language (typically Italian) and/or given a classical arrangement. e.g. Sarah Brightman’s ‘Il Mio Cuore Va’, originally Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’.
•Introducing drum machines into classical pieces. This convention is most typical of instrumentalists such as Vanessa-Mae, Bond and Myleene Klass.
•Track lists frequently consist of: traditional songs (e.g. ‘Danny Boy’, ‘Scarborough Fair’), standards (e.g. ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’), hymns (e.g. Abide With Me), classic showtunes (e.g. ‘Somewhere’, ‘Music of the Night’), film scores (’Now We Are Free’, ‘Nella Fantasia’) and light classical pieces (e.g. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Pie Jesu’, all versions of ‘Ave Maria’, ‘Panis Angelicus’)
•Many singers in classical crossover attempt arias. They are always well known arias such as ‘Nessun Dorma’, ‘Un Bel Di Vedremo’, ‘Lascia Ch’io Pianga’, O Mio Babbino Caro’, ‘La Wally’, ‘O Sole Mio’, ‘The Flower Duet’, ‘The Pearl Fishers Duet’ and so on.
•Classical Crossover has developed its own standard repertoire, that is to say, a classical crossover artist originated a song, and then others covered it extensively. The most famous example is ’Time To Say Goodbye’ (Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman) but there are others such as ‘You Raise Me Up’ (Secret Garden/Josh Groban), ‘Nella Fantasia’ (Sarah Brightman), ‘The Prayer’ (Andrea Bocelli) and ‘Where the Lost Ones Go’ (Sissel).
•Track lists consist mostly of cover songs in some form or other. It is rare for a Classical Crossover album to be mostly original, though most do contain at least one or two original songs. More aesthetic albums tend to have more.
Typically, unlike their classical counterparts, these artists must appeal to a mass audience to survive in the music industry. As is the case with all mainstream music, image and marketing are very important. Some artists may only include one convention, others may need to adopt several.
•The key market are mothers and people over the age of fifty. The genre has a whole attracts more females than males.
•The artist is attractive and is sexualised to appeal to younger generations (e.g. Katherine Jenkins, Vanessa-Mae, Bond).
•The artist has a clean cut reputation to appeal to the older generations (e.g. Hayley Westenra, All Angels, Aled Jones).
•Artist is given hype and buzz words e.g. Russell Watson was marketed as ‘The Voice’, Charlotte Church ‘The Voice of Angel’ and Hayley Westenra ‘Pure’.
•Artists are under sixteen years of age to appeal to the older generations and invoke feelings of paternal affection.
•Artists are promoted on morning/daytime television which is typically watched by mum’s and the older generations.
•Classical crossover albums tend to be released in the run up to Mother’s Day and Christmas, as they make ideal gifts for parents and grandparents.
•Many artists have a short shelf life due to the previous point. Unless the artist is especially established, they have difficulty selling out of the peak seasons.
•Artists are increasingly a result of reality talent shows (e.g. Paul Potts, Faryl Smith, Jonathan Ansell, Rhydian Roberts). Simon Cowell has taken a shine to classical crossover as a money spinner since his success with Il Divo.
•The UK and East Asia are the most effective launch pads.
•Some artists have such a huge following, that they can do whatever they want (Josh Groban, Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli) and none of these marketing conventions deliberately apply to them.
As with all genres, conventions overlap into different areas, but this is the rough guide as to what to expect from a classical crossover artist. All genres have conventions, but they also all contain artists that push boundaries and challenge conventions, so despite this guideline, do not assume that all classical crossover artists are merely products that adhere religiously to the above list. Even if they do follow the guidelines, they are good guidelines to make pleasing music! Which is the point of it all, of course.
Rather Be
Clean Bandit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're a thousand miles from comfort, we have traveled land and sea
But as long as you are with me, there's no place I'd rather be
I would wait forever, exalted in the scene
As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat
With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay
Strolling so casually
We're different and the same, gave you another name
Switch up the batteries
If you gave me a chance I would take it
It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
Ooh ooh
We staked out on a mission to find our inner peace
Make it everlasting so nothing's incomplete
It's easy being with you, sacred simplicity
As long as we're together, there's no place I'd rather be
With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay
Strolling so casually
We're different and the same, gave you another name
Switch up the batteries
If you gave me a chance I would take it
It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be (yeah, be)
Oh, oh
Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah
If you gave me a chance I would take it
It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
The lyrics of “Rather Be” by Clean Bandit are about finding inner peace and contentment within a romantic relationship. The song talks about being willing to travel and wait forever as long as the person they love is with them. They are on a mission to make their love last forever and find a sense of completeness within their relationship. The lyrics highlight that the simplicity of being together with the person they love is enough to bring them satisfaction, and that nothing else matters as long as they are together.
The song also touches upon the idea that even though the couple may have differences, they are still the same when it comes to their love for each other. The phrase “Switch up the batteries” could symbolize the idea of recharging their love for each other whenever it might be low. The chorus emphasizes the main message of the song, that when they are together, there’s no other place they’d rather be.
In summary, “Rather Be” is a beautifully written love song that emphasizes the importance of finding inner peace and contentment within a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
We're a thousand miles from comfort, we have traveled land and sea
Despite being far away from comfort and traveling far and wide, the singer is content because they are together with their partner.
But as long as you are with me, there's no place I'd rather be
The singer cherishes their partner's company more than anything else and would prefer to be nowhere else.
I would wait forever, exalted in the scene
The singer would wait indefinitely for their partner and is euphoric when they are together.
As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat
The singer feels that their life is incomplete without their partner, who is their lifeline.
With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay
The couple goes on a journey from Kyoto to San Francisco Bay, enjoying each other's company while traveling.
Strolling so casually
They are walking at a leisurely pace, not in a hurry but taking in the scenery.
We're different and the same, gave you another name
The couple is unique and different from each other, but they understand each other well and have given each other nicknames.
Switch up the batteries
The singer is using the metaphor of switching up batteries to denote that they are reenergizing their relationship so that it remains fresh and exciting.
If you gave me a chance I would take it
The singer wants an opportunity to show their partner how much they love them and how they can make their relationship work.
It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
The singer knows that their chance of success is uncertain, but they are determined to try their best anyway and make the relationship work.
Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me
The singer is confident of their feelings and knows that their partner can't make them feel embarrassed or ashamed.
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
The singer emphasizes that being with their partner is the best thing that could happen to them, and they cherish every moment spent together.
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
The repetition of this line emphasizes the importance of being with their partner.
We staked out on a mission to find our inner peace
The couple is on a mission to find peace and happiness within themselves as individuals and as a couple.
Make it everlasting so nothing's incomplete
The singer wants their love to be forever and not incomplete in any way, to ensure lasting happiness and contentment.
It's easy being with you, sacred simplicity
The singer finds it easy to be with their partner, and their relationship is uncomplicated and sacred.
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be (yeah, be)
The singer repeats this line to emphasize that being with their partner is what makes them happiest.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Nicole Marshall, Jack Patterson, Grace Chatto, Jimmy Napes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-lo4ms4xi3p
Oh, oh, oh
We're a thousand miles from comfort
We have travelled land and sea
But as long as you are with me
There's no place I'd rather be
I would wait forever
Exalted in the scene
As long as I am with you
My heart continues to beat
With every step we take
Kyoto to The Bay
Strolling so casually
We're different and the same
Gave you another name
Switch up the batteries
If you gave me a chance I would take it
It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
No, no, no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
No, no, no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
No, no, no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
Ooh
We set out on a mission
To find our inner peace
Make it everlasting
So nothing's incomplete
It's easy being with you
Sacred simplicity
As long as we're together
There's no place I'd rather be
With every step we take
Kyoto to The Bay
Strolling so casually
We're different and the same
Gave you another name
Switch up the batteries
If you gave me a chance I would take it
It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
No, no, no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
No, no, no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
No, no, no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be, yeah
Be
Ooh
Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be
Yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah, yeah!
If you gave me a chance I would take it
It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
No, no, no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
No, no, no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
No, no, no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
When I am with you there's no place I'd rather be
@cleanbandit
9 years! 🥹🎂
@ItsGamerMatty
First reply.
@MJ-wc6yv
🎉🎉🎉
@mackena4977
yuppp
@skyline34
nice
@ikkyu-san3436
happy 9years ❤️❤️
@damn6511
Youtube is the closest thing to a time machine we have
@Zetrux
Best legit comment
@paulob.d.1210
Yes
@faizahahmed7320
Best way to end the decade lookin back at all the songs