Okay so we all are aware of Shadow the Hedgehog (game) and its whole... vibe. The game is "dark and edgy" to the MAX. The titular character wrestles with amnesia, he uses guns to shoot either aliens or the military (the latter being considered "evil" because this game was made post-9/11), etc etc. And with that, the music is full of heavy guitars, dark synths, and basically anything to nail that mid-2000's edge.
Anyway the game has a circus level.
So, like, I think this song is absolutely hilarious on a musical level. That's a really weird concept and I am going to completely fail to explain how I reached that point.
The most obvious point of strangeness is the melody that is clearly based on March of the Gladiators (the circus theme you've all heard), but is in fact its own unique melody, and is in a minor key to boot (March of the Gladiators is in major)! We're already reaching "check it out, we've got a real badass at THIS circus" levels not thought possible.
Despite being the theme of a circus, this song sticks to the Darkness inherent to Shadow the Hedgehog in a number of ways. For example, several sections include a quiet string section (or synth pad imitating one idk) that holds onto the minor 3rd of the song's key for three beats in a measure, plays the major 2nd for the fourth beat, and then holds the minor third for an entire measure. There's also a "mysterious harp" bit in there, as if this is some sort of haunted castle level (there IS a haunted castle level but it's not this one), and maybe an electric sitar as a backing instrument? But then this dark vibe is completely undercut by the aforementioned March of the Gladiators takeoff, followed by a melody led by a completely ridiculous sounding synth (which then goes into a weird March of the Gladiators reference itself!). And then there's the (possibly sampled?) horn fanfares that sound almost celebratory despite still fitting the minor key of the rest of the song! Even the percussion switches between a very standard four on the floor beat likely played on a rock drumset and alternate fills and rhythms centered on the kinds of rolling low toms associated with big band.
The end result is a track that feels, in a word, "sarcastic." The existence of Circus Park is some sort of cosmic joke being played on Shadow, with the music representing the clash between Shadow's unshakably serious self and the fact that he's riding roller coasters, bouncing on balloons, and fighting enemies that are balancing on giant inflatable balls. Somehow, I just find it hilarious.
A few footnotes:
- the level, despite being a circus, does not use a color scheme that breaks the game's tone, giving the level a bit of a piss yellow vibe to avoid being too upbeat.
- this is also the level where Shadow says his infamous line about "that DAMN fourth Chaos Emerald"
- there is a beta version of the track available on the game's soundtrack. it's fun to compare it to the final:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X_DeugGGwA
