"Poker Face" - Lady Gaga Isolated Vocals

This week we're going to look closely at vocal tracks. The first one is Lady Gaga's recent worldwide #1 single "Poker Face." Here are some things to listen for.

1) Gaga's verse vocals are doubled by not very closely, which makes it a very interesting effect.

2) The prominent long delay that's timed to the track (probably a 1/4 note delay) fills up the space where there's no vocal and at the end of phrases.

3) The answer harmony vocals in the chorus are pretty subliminal, but really lift the song. They almost sound like a harmony vocal to the lead, which is what I thought was happening before I heard this version. You can hear them more clearly at about 3:20 on the outchorus.

4) The low harmony part on the pre-chorus (the B-section) also helps to develop the dynamics of the song.

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