Originally posted by Production_101

How does one identify a key change? When does it happen in perfect illusion

Originally posted by Komet blu

Worth It doesn't not have a key change.

Think of it this way - let's say a song is in C Major. If you were to play it on a piano you would only need to use the white keys (99% of the time) since only those notes are a part of C Major scale.
If you were to change the key into lets say C# Major, that is to one semi tone higher, you would then need to use some black keys too, since they now contain the notes that are part of this new key, and drop some white keys.

the thing that happens in Worth It, also happens in Bad Romance. You could say that BR verses are in A minor, and the chorus is in C Major, you would kinda technically be right.
The thing is that every major chord has a relative minor chord that is in same key signature. So, if you were to play C Major and A Minor on a piano, you would use the same keys. When playing WI on piano, you don't randomly add or remove any white/black keys during the prechorus, because you stay in the same key.
Now they're not completely same, the emphases of each scale are different, but they're similar enough that they can be used seamlessly in the same song.

The question here is are songwriters using relative scales with intention, to portray different emotions, atmospheres etc, or do they just happen to use Submediant chord more during one part of the song. (In CM scale, am chord is the submediant, and it is used almost exclusively in the verses of BR, while once the chorus hits, it appears only once in the chord progression)

Another example of this is Taylor's I Know Places, the 'change' to Major key in chorus really opens up the song, while the minor verses are all dark and closed up.

Originally posted by HonourableVomit

because it wasn't intentional

Originally posted by Chanel Oberlin

ariana grande second prechorus in break free live check it out girlies https://youtu.be/qiYN9GU5VPE