I. Let's get it started (ft. Aaron Dessner)
episodePreviously titled “Let's get it started” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 3, 2026
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
If you sit in the sun, you may just get burned. But some people are willing to take that chance. There is this certain degree of nihilism of like, oh, well, the world is bad anyway. Why wouldn't I just also get a tan? Tan maxing. That's this week on Explain It To Me. Find new episodes wherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome to Switched on Pop. I'm songwriter Charlie Harding. And I'm musicologist Nate Sloan. Welcome to our Netflix debut. That is right. Switched on Pop is now on Netflix. That's right. And we're going to kick it off with a four-part series on the art of the song. We're going to be breaking down each section, the intro, the verse, the chorus, the bridge, to figure out how each section works to move us emotionally. So let's begin.
Let's get it started in here.
That's the unmistakable intro of the Black Eyed Peas' Let's Get It Started from their 2003 album, Elefunc. Somehow it's actually not the first song on the album. I think that's an oversight. Crazy. It begins with Fergie's dry vocal, with that vocal fry and those bluesy bends. Then we get this kick drum, eighth notes. Apple the app comes in, introduces a walking electric bass. We get this stacked building vocal harmonies telling us exactly what to do. Run, don't walk to the party. It's about to go off. And then there we are. We're off into the verse. It's a complete musical statement. And most importantly, this introduction is also foreshadowing the chorus, the most important part of the song. When Fergie sings, let's get it started.
Because that, of course, is the hook.
Get it started. Get it started.
yeah with us making our netflix debut i thought you might go with a track like uh you know jay-z allow me to reintroduce myself but i think this let's get it started intro is entirely appropriate this is such an iconic song and yet i've never thought so hard about how this song starts before But it actually like sets up the whole track in these subtle ways. The Black Eyed Peas know how to get things started.
How does the episode introduce the series and frame the question about song intros?
Yeah. And so does every form of music ever made. I mean, all genres, all styles of writing songs, every song has to have an introduction. It has to greet you. Yes. What do you feel like the role of the intro is in a song? Well, in the world of pop music, it's often to grab your attention. Yeah. It's to say like, hey, pay attention. Listen to this. Stop what you're doing because we have something great in store for you. An introduction has to be love at first sight because you have to keep on going. And here's the thing, though, Nate. I frankly hate introductions. What? Songwriter Charlie Harding hates introductions? If you ask my songwriting students at Berkeley and at NYU how I feel about introductions, this is what they're going to tell you.
Charlie needs the intro to be as short as this video.
Cut the intro in half. Cut the intro.
Cut the intro. Cut the intro. I just constantly hear songs that are self-indulgent with long introductions that don't grab my attention. And I think that we should cut them. I think that my opinion about this is probably formed by the fact that you and I really came of age in the 90s when, you know, we've done research showing that the average song length peaked in 1998. Four minutes and 29 seconds. People were really taking their time back in the 90s. I mean, take, for example, Sean Colvin's Sonny Came Home. Mandolin. I love the mandolin. It's still going. Get some drums.
Some organ. Some guitar lines. Some nice harmonic changes. But what time is it right now? I mean... We are currently at 30 seconds, 32 seconds, 34 seconds before we get a single line. And I got to tell you, I love this song. It is a smash. And I actually don't think that's a terrible introduction. I actually think it's quite compelling. Yeah. It's constantly changing. It's evolving. But it is long and it's not alone. I mean, the Smashing Pumpkins, Tonight Tonight. Tonight Tonight.
I don't even have time to get to the end. Here we are, you know, 10 seconds in. Let's just fast forward, I don't know, 40 seconds. Wow. 44 seconds in, we finally get some vocals, but there's probably no one who's more of a culprit of long intros than the Cranberries.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:04–2:26
2
How does the episode introduce the series and frame the question about song intros?
2:26–9:59
3
Why do some podcasters and songwriters complain about long intros and want them cut?
9:59–15:40
4
Which classic long-intro songs illustrate different purposes for introductions?
15:40–26:39
5
What does research on 'thin slicing' and 'plink' say about first impressions in music?
26:39–36:17
6
Can listeners identify songs from 300–400 milliseconds and what did the quiz reveal?
36:17–38:26