Cole Cuchna

And for me, this universal quality is at the heart of Digital Love, a tragic story about a dream that leaves our narrator's love unrequited.

And with this understanding of the central theme of the song, we need to return to the song's main sample loop.

Specifically, I want to highlight something about its chord progression and its relationship with the idea of unrequited love.

The song is in the key of A major and the progression begins with this rapid 3 chord sequence.

For those musically inclined, these chords are D major, C sharp minor, and F sharp minor.

This is then followed by an extended E dominant 7th sus4 chord.

Now within the key of A major, this chord is what's known as a dominant seventh chord.

Traditionally, this chord has one very specific function.

It is the chord typically played just before the home chord of the key signature, the chord that brings resolution.

Since we're in the key of A major, that home chord of resolution would be an A major chord.

I'll play the chord progression again, but this time I'll end on an A major.

And I want you to notice how it resolves the progression, how it creates a satisfying ending.

You can feel that, right?

Like you'd be okay with things ending here.

That's the function of a dominant 7th chord.

It builds tension that wants to resolve back to the home chord.

Except in digital love, that A major never arrives.

Instead, the progression starts over.

And so musically, the song keeps setting up a resolution that never comes.

Again and again, for nearly its entire length, it reaches for something just out of grasp.