Crystal Music: Gem Musical Motifs
Each Gem in Steven Universe possesses a certain musical motif that plays during certain parts of the show. When Gems fuse, their musical motifs merge into a completely different genre of music. Weāre going to look at each one in detail today. Since weāve only seen detailed dances from the Crystal Gems, only there dance motifs will be looked at. WhenĀ āCry for Helpā reveals Sardonyx in her entirety, I will update this post with her musical motif.
EDIT: Updated Lapis Lazuliās motif to include her String themes!
EDIT2: Updated many characterās motifs, added pictures to all segments, added Greg, Sour Cream, Lion, Sadie, Ronaldo, Desert Glass, Dogcopter, Sardonyx, and Stevonnie.
NOTE: When selecting a track to listen to, please right-click and selectĀ āOpen Link in New Tabā so you donāt lose your spot in the post!
Garnetās Motif: Hip-Hop (Waka Waka) Bass
Garnetās musical and dance themes are very much centered around hip-hop movement (specifically the Waka Waka style of dancing). Waka Waka is characterized by very thick and bouncy bass tones and robotic movement of the limbs with fluid motions in between dance poses.
Take a listen to some of Garnetās tracks. HereāsĀ āFuture Visionā from the official Steven Universe OST. Note that very present bass andĀ āfunky flowā of the tracks.
Pearlās Motif: Classical andĀ Swing Piano
Although Pearl has been shown playing the violin, her main musical motif is a piano played both classically and in the swing style. Both styles are played at a slow tempo in the show (around 90 to 110 BPM, depending on the song), giving Pearl an elegant, classy musical feel. Her dance theme, fittingly enough, is classical ballet as evidenced by her propensity to strike graceful poses both during fusion dances and combat.
Give one of Pearlās most important themes,Ā āPearlās Roomā, a listen. Take note of the transition from classic piano to swing piano at the 0:11 mark. During this scene, Pearl is performing swan-like ballet poses in the privacy of her room, matching the grace and form of the piano.
Amethystās Motif: On-The-Floor Drum Beats (On-Time and Off-Time)
Amethystās motif consists primarily of drum beats that can either follow a time signature or occur erratically and randomly depending on the song. Amethystās reckless party-girl attitude is reflected both in her energetic drum motif and her simplistic club-like dancing style. Amethystās musical motif also utilizes strike and sting samples erratically (think 90s era music or, more recently, Splatoon)
Hereās one of the more fun musical themes,Ā āGimme Gimmeā, heard when Amethyst is chasing Steven down to eat his Together Breakfast. The use of loud drum beats and sting samples can clearly be heard as she tries to get her hands on those panned cakes.
Stevenās Motif: Chiptune
Steven shares his motif with Connie, in that theyāre both based on the chiptune style of music (although Connieās mixes in acoustic sounds here and there). Chiptune intentionally sounds cute and innocent, fitting Steven perfectly. His dance motif has not really been seen yet, although his Stevonnie fusion dance with Connie seems to indicate that he inherits his motherās (Rose Quartzās) dance motif of 2-person waltz.
Hereās a Steven-based track,Ā āWatermelon Stevenā, complete with chiptune chirps.
Rose Quartzās Motif: Bells and Piano
Roseās motif consists primarily of arpeggios of bells and pianos, and other hi-pitch instruments. In the Rainbow Quartz fusion dance with Pearl, we can see that Rose takes the leading role in the dance and moves and sways in waltz patterns (which her son Steven inherited). She also takes the leading role in her and Gregās subsequent dance on the beach, even spinning him around in a classic waltz twirl.
One of Roseās quintessential themes,Ā āRoseās Roomā demonstrates both her arpeggio theme and the bell/piano combination her motif is known for.
Peridotās Motif: DrumĀ ānā Bass/Trance Plucks
Peridotās motif is stereotypical DnB (a hi-tempo style) with spacey trance plucks speckled throughout. Her personality fits with this motif, itās just as spacey and awkward as she is, but much like the real Peridot, thereās something very menacing and dangerous sounding about her motifs. Listen to Peridotās theme,Ā āPeridotā, and love the green space Dorito. Peridotās trance plucks mirror Pearlās piano in form and function.
Lapis Lazuliās Motif: Sidechained Pads/Hall Piano/Strings
Lapisās motif relies heavily on sidechained static (theĀ āunts untsā you hear in club dance music), and hall piano arpeggios. Her themes can easily lean towards melancholy (as inĀ āI Am Lapis Lazuliā), or extremely dangerous sounding (as inĀ āMirror Matchā) depending on tempo. Lapis Lazuli, much like her motif, is a very dynamic character, perhaps showing the most personality development on any character in the show, and her versatile theme reflects that. Her theme also carries extremely fast drum beats, a motif she shares with Amethyst. Strings are also present in here solo themes, and can be heard as a mainstayĀ āI Am Lapis Lazuliā. When Lapisā Gem is cracked, the sidechained static is much more prevalent than any of her other motifs. When healed however, the strings take the forefront of her themes. In Lapisā battle anthem,Ā āMirror Matchā, you can hear it take on elements of other Gems motifs when they enter the fray. with Garnetās bass at 0:34, Amethystās drum beats at 0:56, Pearlās piano at 1:20, Lionās music box at 1:33, and Steven and Connieās combined chiptune at 1:43.
Jasperās Motif: Distorted Bass
Jasperās main component in her motif is the presence of distorted bass. Heard most clearly inĀ āReturn to the Beach/Jasperā, the gross-sounding bass is definitely a parallel to itās owner. Jasperās distorted bass shares similarities in composition to Garnetās Waka bass.
Opalās Motif: High-Energy Piano Anthem (a la Masami Ueda)
Opalās motif is interesting in that it brings to diametric opposites (breakbeat drums from Amethyst and classical piano from Pearl), and forces them to conform to each otherās theme. Amethystās beats become structured and formulaic while Pearlās piano becomes energetic and erratic. This style of music was coined by Masami Ueda (the composer for the Bayonetta games), and the influence in Opalās theme really shows. Take a listen to Opalās theme,Ā āOpalā.
Sugiliteās Motif: Dissonant Hardstyle
The mix of Garnetās bass and Amethystās drums do not make a very inviting combination. Sugiliteās motif is very menacing, as Garnetās bass has become distorted and dissonant, while Amethystās driving beat makes it even more unsettling. Sugiliteās theme,Ā āSynchronizeā, transitions from a less evil-sounding combo of Garnet/Amethyst to the more traditional Sugilite theme halfway through.
Alexandriteās Motif: New York Swing/Genre Fusion/Trap
Alexandriteās theme is very hard to pin down and is a very confusing (but cohesive) mix of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearlās themes. The musical chord stings originate from Garnet while her classy piano lead line and tribal-esque drums come from Pearl and Amethyst, respectively. Take a listen to Alexandriteās theme,Ā āAlexandriteā, and be as confused as me.Ā
Malachiteās Motif: Minimalist Scare Stings
Malachite, being a horror movie character in and of herself, shares her motif with scary movies like Jaws and Signs. Heard in her theme,Ā āMalachiteā, Lapisās drums and piano have been corrupted into dissonant stings separated by longs pauses, while Jasperās bass has amped up the creep factor as an underlying harmonic entity. In general, Malachiteās motifs arenāt ever really in harmony or are even playing in the same tempo.
Sardonyxās Motif: Showtunes/Perfomance Music and Play-Ins
Sardonyxās theme sounds like something off of a mid-1950s comedy/talk show, fitting with her look and personality. The theme in question,Ā āSardonyxā, acquires its bouncy bass from Garnet and overlying piano lead lines from Pearl. However, as in Opal, the fusion has forced each one to take on attributes of the other. The result is an extremely formulaic and strict sound, but at the same time the overarching melody is moving very fast and gives you a sense of boundless energy focused through a small area, much like how Sardonyx herself is. Sardonyx as a talk show host is a pretty easy connection to make, and parts of her song bridge themselves to each other using classicĀ āplay-inā melodies, played whenever a new person or character enters the stage. When summoning her weapon, you can hear her song begin a stereotypicalĀ āperformance windupā, including piano trills, drum rolls, and topping it all off with a rising crescendo near the end. The part in question begins at 0:55 in her theme. When sheās destroying the communication hub, the music entersĀ āfinaleā mode. The music loses a little bit of its formulaic structure to add energy and a sense of excitement and randomness. The drums in particular become much more prevalent.
The Cluster: Dissonant NuWave
Not only does the Cluster struggle to maintain shape, but it also struggles to maintain a musical motif. This dissonant mixture of many Gemās motifs creates a very unsettling track, perfect for this abomination. Take a listen to itās theme,Ā āGem Shardsā.
Stevonnieās Motif: Acoustic NuBallad
A mixture of Stevenās chiptune/piano and Connieās acoustic/string themes create a beautiful blend form Stevonnie in āTwilight Runā. The character follows many other fusions in that separately the motifs are okay, but together they are glorious.
OTHERS (Humans/Corrupt Gems)
Greg Universeās Motif: Slap Bass Guitar/Rhythm Guitar
Heard frequently when with Steven or Rose Quartz, Gregās motif fits his own trademark instrument pretty well. The rhythm guitar is heard extremely clearly inĀ āWhat Can I Doā, being made almost entirely of that instrument. His son Steven seems to have inherited part of his motif, since Steven himself has ukelele (a diminutive form of guitar) as part of his motif. Gregās guitar can be heard in many of his partner songs with Steven and Rose.
Sour Creamās Motif: Complextro/Rave/Retro Game Sounds
Sour Creamās motif is stereotypicalĀ ārave musicā played through a Steven Universe filter. Heard inĀ āBe Cool At The Clubā, Sour Creamās motif consists mostly of synthetic arpeggios and trills with even a sort of drop at 1:35 in his song. Use of sidechaining, distorted vocal, and upper frequency sounds lend a classic but nuanced feel to his motif. Sour Cream is definitely a classic raver/EDM person, as evidenced by his trap pants and proclivity towards hosting said raves.
Ronaldoās Motif: Lo-Fi Sine/Synth Sitar
Ronaldoās theme is reliant on unsettling note combinations and a low frequency sine tone that is played to sound like a synthetic sitar (a traditional Indian instrument), matching his strange personality perfectly. His theme isĀ āParanoldo Activityā.
Sadieās Motif: Harp/Pizzicato Synths
Sadieās motif is interesting in that it changes depending on her locale. When in Beach City, her motif consists primarily of harp sounds. This can be heard most clearly during Sadieās many talk with Steven inĀ āJoking Victimā. However, her motif changes instruments when outside of Beach City. When stranded on an island with Steven and Lars, her theme becomes heavily focused on plucked synth sounds. This can be heard inĀ āSadie and the Beastā, where Sadieās normally cute pluck sounds are mixed with menacing bass tones as she fights a Gem Monster. A less scary version of her motif is present in the beginning of Ā āThe HillāĀ before it becomes a romantic piano ballad.
Lionās Motif: Reversed Pads/Piano/Chiptune/Music Box
Lionās motif when not with Steven is chiptune played in a more erratic manner. However, when with Steven, his motif becomes reversed pads and sounds played over soothing piano lines. As heard inĀ āLionās Maneā, this connects him to Rose through their shared piano motif (And also heās pink just like her). Lion also has a distinct music box motif played during some of his music, such as near the end ofĀ āDesert Glassā and the Lion segment ofĀ āMirror Matchā.
The setar, not to be confused with the sitar (although they are very similar) is a long-necked string instrument from Iran that gives the classicĀ ādesert musicā feel to many movie scores. Desert Glass features this instrument very prominently in her theme,Ā āDesert Glassā. It is overlain with the classic Steven Universe chiptune and drum beats.
Dogcopter: Latin Twist/Shopping Music
All of Dogcopterās themes have very distinct Latin structures, mixed with the pauses and staccato drums made famous by the Shopping Network and the Wii Shopping Channel. Heard in one of his songs,Ā āThe Pitch Got DelayedāĀ it really adds another element to the already surreal character of Dogcopter.
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