Three to four minutes. To my knowledge, this is the industry standard for the length of a song. Anything less leaves listeners hungry, anything more leaves them bored. That’s what many of us buy into. But with a length of 1:21, Marigold’s “Prism.demo” is a reminder that tracks can be short and sweet.
We’re hit with spacey synths, a perky bass, and colorful piano rolls from the start. It feels anticipatory, leading us somewhere exciting. And when the beat comes in, I immediately picture a retro racing game – fast-paced turns, colors blurring by, and the exhilaration of 120 miles per hour.
I can’t decide if the vocals feel like a verse or just organized ad-libs. There are no repeated stanzas and no clear hook. Towards the end, Marigold isn’t even singing words – he’s just bouncing off the instrumentals. But it all works. Everything feels spontaneous in the best way possible.
Marigold doesn’t follow your typical verse/chorus/bridge structure, and it results in refreshingly unique songs like this one. Naming hip-hop, jazz, funk, and bedroom pop as his influences, his music is a lively fusion of distinct sounds and samples. Listen here:
