Tik Tok and dissonance do not mix

Summary by Krater

An analysis of why the song As the World Caves In by Matt Maltese generated negative reactions when covered on TikTok, explaining how its dissonant harmonies challenge conventional pop music aesthetics.

From the video

Answers: Why do people hate the harmony in the TikTok song As the World Caves In?

• musical dissonance
• harmonic analysis
• counterpoint
• TikTok music reactions
• Western polyphonic aesthetics

What it concludes

• The negative reactions to TikTok covers of As the World Caves In stem from clashes between the song's dissonant harmonies and Western pop music's preference for consonant intervals like thirds and sixths.
• Johann Fux's Gradus ad Parnassum and the rules of 16th-century polyphonic counterpoint continue to unconsciously shape Western standards for harmonic aesthetics in popular music.
• Despite being criticized on TikTok for sounding bad, the use of parallel fifths and cross-relations in certain pop arrangements creates a powerful expressive effect comparable to classical and rock standards.