Songwriting Analysis: Seal “Kiss from a Rose”

Seal II

Seal’s probably more known for his voice than his songwriting, but this song demonstrates that singing is not the only thing he’s a virtuoso at.  There are some advanced songwriting evident here, such as:

  • stately, step-wise intro melody that prepares the contrast to come, instead of being a more traditional intro that just precursors the material from the following sections
  • gappy, unpredictable verse that both showcases his range and heightens the sense of drama
  • seamlessly weaving back and forth between major and minor tonalities to keep the song mysterious and interesting