Elements of gwo ka, tambour bรฉlรฉ, ti bwa and biguine vide, including the full use of the MIDI technology, are prominent in zouk. Its originator French Antilles Kassav' is the only band that includes it in its repertoire to a lesser extent. Too fast, the style lost ground in the 80's due to the strong presence of kadans or compas music, the main music of the French Antilles. Today, zouk is the French Antilles compas music, also called zouk love.
Music authors Charles De Ledesma and Gene Scaramuzzo trace zouk's development to the Guadeloupean gwo ka and Martinican bรจlรจ (tambour and ti bwa) folk traditions. Ethnomusicologist Jocelyn Guilbault, however, describes zouk as a synthesis of Caribbean popular styles, especially Dominica cadence-lypso, Haitian compas, Guadeloupean biguine. Zouk arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s, using elements of previous styles of Antillean music, as well as imported genres.
Zouk bรฉton was a brief experiment; an attempt to develop a proper local music that would lessen or even eradicate the mรฉringue-kadans or compas influence from the French Antilles. When the MIDI technology came out, Kassav' used it fully creating new sound in both their fast zouk bรฉton and konpa. The Antilleans were all over with zouk, but as other bands from the Caribbean and Africa added the MIDI technology to their music people got use to it. Because it was a jump up beat the fast zouk bรฉton faded away; and, confounding sound and style, Antilleans would continue to play and dance mรฉringue-cadence or konpa. After all French Antilleans and Dominicans are important players of the mรฉringue-compas or cadence style. However, the problem is the fact that musicians from Martinique and Guadeloupe have wrongly labeled compas music as zouk; creating a big confusion in Africa, Cabo Verde, Angola, Brazil, Portugal and other places. French Antilles Kassav', the originator of the zouk bรฉton is a superb compas music band that has taken konpa to many places.
In 1978, Pierre Edouard Decimus relocated in Paris after a successful career in the French Antilles. Pierre Edouard Decimus was on the verge of retirement from the music business until he and his brother Georges Decimus met fellow Guadeloupean Jacob Desvarieux, a popular guitarist/songwriter known in Paris as a studio wizard. The idea was to make an internationalized Tabou Combo. The surroundings of the Paris music recording technology gave him the idea of making "just one more record". Subsequently, Pierre Edouard Decimus, his brother, and Jacob Desvarieux pulled together a team of Paris-based Antilles musicians and created a compas music group named Kassav.
Kassav' was formed in 1979 by Pierre-Edouard Dรฉcimus (former musicians from the Les Vikings de Guadeloupe) and Paris studio musician Jacob F. Desvarieux. Together and under the influence of well-known Dominican, Haitian and Guadeloupean kadans or compas bands like Experience 7, Grammacks, Exile One, Tabou combo, Les Freres Dejean, Zekle, etc. the band continued to grow as a solid compas band. kassav' created a style "zouk" by experimenting an eleven-piece gwo ka unit and two lead singers, tambour bรฉlรฉ, ti bwa, a steady monotonous bass with full use of the MIDI technology.
The original Kassav' was all Guadeloupean but was later joined by Martiniquans Jean-Claude Naimro, Claude Vamur, Jean-Phillipe Marthely, Jocelyne Bรฉroard and Guadeloupean Patrick St-Eloi. In the 1980s they took Caribbean music to another level by recording in the new digital format. Kassav wich created the fast carnival jump up music "zouk" style remains mostly a great compas music band.
They continued to grow more popular, both as a group and with several members' solo careers, finally peaking in 1984 with Yรฉlรฉlรฉ, which featured the international hit "Zouk-la-sรฉ Sel Mรฉdikaman Nou Ni". With this hit, zouk rapidly became the most widespread dance craze to hit Latin American in some time, and was wildly popular even as far afield as Europe and Asia. Zouk became known for wildly theatrical concerts featuring special effects spectacles, colorful costumes and outrageous antics.
The Guadeloupean gwo ka and Martinican bรฉlรฉ folk tradition is at the rhythmic heart of zouk rhythms; the bรฉlรฉ itself is a huge tambour drum that players ride as though it was a horse. In bรฉlรฉ, the cinquillo is beat out by the tibwa, but it translates very well to the chacha (a maracas) when the rhythms are applied for playing biguine music.
In zouk, the tibwa rhythm is often simplified to an almost-constant 3+3+2 motive and played with rim shots on the snare while the chacha or hi-hats play a tresillo-cinquillo style rhythm. Zouk as popularized by Kassav' is based on a consistent pulsating beat (tambour bรฉlรฉ and gwo ka), the "tibwa" rhythmic pattern played on the rim of the snare drum with the "chacha" or hi-hat, rhythmic guitar's, a full-horn section and Keyboard synthesizers.
The word zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local Antillean Creole of French, although the word originally referred to, and is still used to refer to, a popular dance, based on the Polish dance, the mazurka (mazouk), that was introduced to the French Caribbean in the 19th century.
Actually the Creole word zouke, sekwe, zouke, etc. from the French verb "secouer" meaning "shake intensely and repeatedly" was used by Haitian artists who toured the French Antilles during the late 1970s and 1980s. The dictionary Le Petit Robert gives the following definition of zouk: "Very rhythmic music and dance originating in the Lesser Antilles (Guadeloupe and Martinique) in 1980.
Zouk-love is the French Antilles cadence or compas music characterized by a slow, soft and sexual rhythm. The lyrics of the songs often speak of love and sentimental problems.
Better Things
aespa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got better things to do with my time
Better things to do with my time
Do with my time than you
Oh, oh-oh
Got better things to do with my time
Better things to do with my time
Do with my time
Oh, better things to do with my time
Better things to do with my time
Do with my time
I'm sorry that it hurts you
No, I'm sorry, I ain't sorry
aespa, big girls making money
aespa, you're our number one fan now
You can only see me at our sold out shows (sold out show)
Will I ever go back? (No)
Will I ever trip up? (No)
Will I ever pull up on him? (No)
Watch and see 'bout to throw another rhythm on him
Rhythm on him, rhythm on him
Rhythm on him, rhythm on him
The lyrics to aespa's song "Better Things" convey a message of self-confidence and independence. The singer asserts that they have better things to do with their time than to invest it in someone who let them down in the past. Although there were doubts about their feelings and trust towards this person, they now realize that their energy is too valuable to waste on them.
The lyrics also highlight the singer's growth and empowerment. They acknowledge that the person now wants to know them and be a part of their life, but it is too late. The singer has moved on and left them behind. The repetition of the phrase "I got better things to do with my time" emphasizes their refusal to be caught up in a past relationship that no longer serves them.
This song serves as a reminder to prioritize self-worth and focus on personal development rather than dwelling on past disappointments. It encourages listeners to value their time and energy, recognizing that there are more fulfilling things to pursue.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, oh-oh
Expressing a sense of realization and determination.
Got better things to do with my time
I have more important and fulfilling activities to engage in.
Better things to do with my time
More valuable and meaningful ways to spend my time.
Do with my time than you
Not worth investing my time and energy in you.
I wasn't ever sure that I loved you
Doubts about my feelings towards you.
But I was always sure you would let me down
Confident in your ability to disappoint me.
Wasn't ever sure if I trust you
Lack of trust in you.
But I'm so goddamn sure my energy's just too precious to waste
My energy is valuable and should not be wasted on you.
So now you, now you wanna
Now you suddenly want...
Know me, wanna know me
Desire to understand and get to know me.
Wanna know all about me, wanna know about me
Curiosity about every aspect of my life.
But he can't have me 'cause I left him alone
I distanced myself from him, so he can't possess or have me.
You know you wanna know me, wanna know me
It's evident that you want to know me.
Wanna know all about me, wanna know about me
Desire to discover everything about me.
But he can't have me 'cause I'm gone, no-no-no
I am no longer available or interested in being with him.
That I, I got better things to do with my time
I prioritize other meaningful activities over spending time with him.
Oh-oh, I got better things to do with my time
I have more important things to focus on.
Do with my time (break it down)
Engaging in productive endeavors instead of wasting my time.
Wasn't ever sure if I loved you
Uncertainty regarding my feelings for you.
But I was always sure you woulda loved me back
Confident that you would have reciprocated my love.
You had me right, right, right at my weakest, yeah
Took advantage of me during my moments of vulnerability.
Now you're hurting, I can see you're mad
Witnessing your pain and frustration now.
'Cause you're never gonna get that back
You will never regain what you've lost.
Now I know you wanna
Now I am aware that you desire...
I'm sorry that it hurts you
Expressing remorse for causing you pain.
No, I'm sorry, I ain't sorry
Actually, I am not sorry.
aespa, big girls making money
aespa, confident and successful women.
aespa, you're our number one fan now
You are now our biggest supporter.
You can only see me at our sold out shows (sold out show)
You can only witness my performances at fully booked events.
Will I ever go back? (No)
I will not return to the past.
Will I ever trip up? (No)
I will not make any mistakes.
Will I ever pull up on him? (No)
I will not confront or approach him.
Watch and see 'bout to throw another rhythm on him
Just wait and observe as I impress and surprise him.
I, I got better things to do with my time
There are more important and fulfilling activities for me to engage in.
I'm sorry that it hurts you
Apologizing for causing you pain.
aespa, big girls making money
aespa, successful and independent women.
aespa, you're our number one fan now
You are now our most dedicated supporter.
You can only see me at our sold out shows (sold out show)
You can only witness my performances at fully booked events.
Will I ever go back? (No)
I will not return to the past.
Will I ever trip up? (No)
I will not make any mistakes.
Will I ever pull up on him? (No)
I will not confront or approach him.
Watch and see 'bout to throw another rhythm on him
Just wait and observe as I impress and surprise him.
Rhythm on him, rhythm on him
Delivering a fresh and enticing performance.
Rhythm on him, rhythm on him
Continuing to captivate and excite him.
Lyrics ยฉ Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Leroy James Clampitt, Rachel Agatha Keen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@22dreams36
SM finally let them harmonize. they're waay too talented to not harmonize
@mesmxrizes
I'm glad SM let them harmonize, but i feel this kinda song really suit well with some harmonize part
@sims2lovealot
What do you mean? They literally always harmonise in their b-sides!
@22dreams36
@@sims2lovealot in TTs i mean
@sims2lovealot
@@22dreams36 They do in most of their title songs too: Black Mamba, Forever, Savage, Dreams Come True, Girls.
@leicanelight
@@sims2lovealotbut itโs not as clear and beautiful as it is in this song.
@StreamHypeBoyByNewJeans
Not a fan of aespa but was pleasantly surprised with how GOOD this song is. 10/10
@Plybrule19
Stan aespa โค๏ธ
@DaNiRx227
you should listen to their b-sides it's really good
@Chrono_topher
Some aespa B-Side recommendations:
ยท Lucid Dream
ยท Thirsty
ยท ICONIC
ยท Yeppi Yeppi
ยท Lingo