ETA, the annoying horn synth, & why it's there 

the horn sound is what makes the song fun and i don’t find it annoying tbh!

the horn synth is what made this song my most anticipated track off of 'get up' - like from the moment the teaser dropped, i knew it was gonna be an absolute banger of a song

It has no life without the horn

The horn always sounded like a warning to me. The girls are gossiping in the verses and when the horn kicks in in the chorus it's a warning to their friend to leave the guy, but also to them to be there when shit goes down. Maybe that's why the song always sounded sad to me towards the end. I like the horns they make the song stand out amongst all of the other calm ones. Also I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't like them, I played through gen 3 pokemon and that is straight horns lol

I do think the same about the horn, though I never found It annoying. And one of my favorite things about NewJeans is how they add details/variations in their relatively simple and laid-back discography. The example that comes to my mind right now is how each chorus of Super Shy has different ways to introduce the instrumentals and drums, in a song like this, it makes all the differences. I tend to pick up a lot of little details in music (because I tend to laser focus in all the things that happen in a song whenever I listen to music) so I like being rewarded for paying attention. There's more examples of these details through their discography but some of these are: - The contrast between the verses and the chorus in Attention - The simple melodies against a more complicated rhythm in both Ditto and OMG - The way that they intentionally sing the prechorus in OMG and ETA I think that's part of the reason why their songs have replay value, it makes you want to hear how many details like this are sprinkled throught any of their songs that you may have missed the first time and it makes you appreciate their songs even more

I actually LOVEEE the horns cause it reminds me so much of the 2000´s brazillian funk, to be more specific the ''Furacão 2000'' ones. I really recommend u guys to take a listen because is so similar. Sooo. as a brazillian bunny and also a funk enjoyer, ETA is such a amazing song for me only bcause of the horns. Is so chaotic and everything here in Brazil is kinda lika that too LOL

i never knew people disliked the horn synth; its my fav part of the instrumental

The way you caught those horns coming in early before the second chorus and tied it to a heightened sense of urgency was insane, I absolutely love that detail and interpretation. To me, it’s like the first chorus is giving the listener a chance to “hear him say” (though “he” is technically speaking through Haerin here, it’s still the first time we hear words quoted from his mouth) before finding out he can’t be trusted and the horns come in to confirm that our alarm bells should be going off. But in the second chorus, we don’t even need to hear what this dude said before those alarms kick back up lmao “Heard him say-🚨🚨🚨🚨” like it’s just the fact that he’s speaking in general and we’re like “I’m good 🙅” On another note, I’ve seen similar opinions about the whistle sound/instrument used in Antifragile being too grating or annoying for some people too. I don’t have a problem with either sound and enjoy both songs, but as someone with other kinds of sensory issues, I get it.

NGL I still heard the horn when you played the no-horn version. My brain filled it in for me 😭 HAHA. Tbh I didn't like this song at first. It's obnoxious. Then I realized, I listen to heckin metal. People find that waaaaaay more irritating. So I gave the song a few more tries, hoping I'd understand what it's tryna do, and now I love it. Haha. Tbh I think it just comes on a bit too strong for a lot of casual pop listeners. They ain't ready for how heavy this song is. Tho I do understand why some people don't like it. It kinda takes a few more replays to appreciate this song. Also I love how you connected the lyrics and THE DAMN HORNS of all things to the lore.

I think your idea of the horns indicating urgency/alarm is spot on, and I think it's also further emphasized by the MV starting with the iPhone default alarm. I know that the video is sponsored by and made for Apple but it still has a meaning here basically telling the subject of the song to "wake up"!! That said, I like the horns!

i love the horn synth i cant unhear it even without the horns i just magically hear the DUN DUN DUN DUNDUNDUN DUN DUN DUN DUNDUNDUN DUN DUN

The horn synth sounds AMAZING. How can anyone hate it😭😭

1. Symbolism and theme - it sticks to the story of ETA and how we want the character to handle the situation ASAP (pun intended) as it almost sounds exactly like a car horn. 2. History of genre - The genre of Jersey Beat collectively is defined by its kick arrangements and usage of samples to accompany the rhythm. In this case, it's the horns. I think it's respectful that they stayed almost closely to the source material. 3. IT SOUND MORE FUN AND UPBEAT WITH THE HORNS. YOU CAN'T CHANGE MY MIND. 4. Awkward album placement - Hear me out. It's the third song in the mini album that uses the same genre and beat arrangement. The other ones are New Jeans and Super Shy. Had it not included the horns (which is the very soul of the song), it wouldn't be a diverse track list when the first three tracks sound so identical. Also note how New Jeans and Super Shy would steal the spotlight because of TikTok dance trends and/or popular Western collaborations (Powerpuff Girls). It makes the whole mini album experience more fun and fresh, catering to more musical taste.

the horns and the way they are chopped are a direct nod to baltimore club... which is what this song is: a baltimore club record.

I've never actually listened to this song, but I kinda love it now anyway. This was a great analysis. I love that you got down to a line level and picked out even the word the horn starts with. That's such an amazing detail. But I also love the discussion of things like omnipresence and specific ways to add new dimension. 10/10

the horn sound is just to represent a sense of urgency within the song It pumps the pace and its more noise, which lends itself to that It sounds boring without it

the horn synth really fills the song more and without it, its just plain and blends in with other songs.

The horn… makes it so much better.

does anyone else see an interpretation of this song where newjeans is lying to the girl? the outro part where they sing "want/need a boy on MY arm" kinda made me think so, like theres a more sinister interpretation where the speaker of the song is lying to get her friend to break up with her boyfriend so she can make a move on him.

Idk why people hated this horn, this was actually what made the song sound catchy

as a sm noise music enthusiast, ETA is one of my fav songs from the album

okay but.. mark at the start 😭 that meme always gets me

The horn was my favorite part cuz it's a sample that's also used by another pop artist MIA. Your video made me love the horn even more!

People hated the horn? That’s what made me like the song

you made me love eta even more i'm so grateful thank you sm

man i love analysis videos like this; hearing opinions and realizing nuances i hadnt noticed before. awesome !!

Also the horn synth is a sample from XR2 by M.I.A who’s known for experimenting with loud/abrasive sounds:)

i love love the horn synth! you made extremely good points that i didnt even think of lmaooo like used for a sign of warning?? thats so smartttt!!!! i just thought it madde the song quite fun

it’s annoying, like SUPER annoying but without the horns it’s empty…idk how to feel 😭😭

The horn synths add so much life in the song and makes it so much addictive

when I hear that horn it's my signal to throw down

ETA bangs with or without the synth horn

naurrr i think it helps the vocals stand out from the instrumental!!!! sometimes w todays music trend the vocals can kind of blend in due to the fast track beat + hums imo. the horns add another layer that make the song super recognizable

I always thought the annoying horns were an obvious nod to car horns which fit the whole 'ETA' theme and the car themes in the music video

Omgg never noticed the horns coming in early in the second chorus, it gave me chills! I love essay videos like this, especially if the subject is newjeans. Keep it up!

This video gave me goosebumps and made me appreciate this song and the album so much more. Thank you so much for this deepdive!

ETA is one of their only comebacks that didn't make it onto my playlist, and that brass synth is 100% of the reasons why. I will never hear this song the same way again.

i love this analysis! i think i definitely respect how experimental this song is, with the stylistic choice to add the horn synth. despite this, it definitely still annoys me, and still gets stuck in my head sometimes xD.

i really loved this, the analysis of the song, the “why” something is there and it has a purpose itself. i really loved this video. i also like this song a lot, and the version without the horn makes the song feels empty for me.

i was so obsessed with this song even before it came out and the horns are my favorite frr

These horn sound made this song more fun,cute and memorable

I usually find the sound of horns in songs annoying but ever since the first time I heard ETA I just love it, without the horn is not bad but sounds too plain, now I know why I love it so much, thanks for the video 😊

i think the horn really prevents the melody from dragging, its keeps it moving

i loved the horn 😭😭

I love the horn sound. Gives it depth to the UKG influenced sound.

Finally someone acknowledges the horns! Honestly, at initial listens - I found the horns a little "off" MAINLY because it only plays in one pitch, as it feels like it does not "try" to fit in the song at all. But in context it kinda makes sense - and song grew on me tremendously overtime.

mark in the intro gave me jumpscares

I didn't expect the lack of the horns to make such a difference

😭😭😭 This song's my favorite out of al of their songs in the album since the day they released the Bunnies camp concert version

it sounds so empty without them, i think they really add life to the song

I hated it so much when it first came out but now it's the thing that's making the song so fresh and unique for me

ETA instrumental without the horns is so good!

Bye the beginning literally sets the mood

A song I’d never get sick of, I’m shocked so many people dislike it. The horns to me make it so bold, and NewJeans and our generation is a bold group

I can get why people might like the horn synth, but for me its a risky unique gritty addition that gives the song character and memorability.

The horn plush the chorus is my favorite part of the song, it gives the song its uniqueness.

me before watching this specific video: its a callout song. horns(and trumpets) are used historically to call attention to something. might it be as an early warning signal by village lookouts, or as war horns for well, war. using horns on the song, at the least when its used as symbolism, signifies a call for attention or action, or that something is going on around. newjeans as a whole is a very lore heavy group, not only in the music videos but inside their music as well. it was also played in staccato, making it sound more urgent (as playing it legato would either make it either sound peaceful or dire) also, like you said, its supposed to be frantic. as in alarm clock frantic.. or an urgent call, a wake up call or whatnot. tying it up with iphone (let me rant here a little, thankyou ^_^ and peace) this is a kind of thinking that only creative people can understand. those who write stories, songs, make films etc. non-creative people would say that "you are reading too much into it" or "its not that deep" but if we are being honest, there are multiple people who brainstormed for a single music video, a song or whatever piece of media, specially the ones that has money spent on them. those people are paid specifically to be creative. its never "you are reading too much into it" nor is it "its not that deep"

I have gone through many phases with the horn. At first I didn’t mind it, then I got viscerally enraged by it, and now I’m back around to liking it again. Though I wish it was a LITTLE quieter in the mix.

What is funny to me is that I hated the horn for the first listens but right after reading the lyrics it’s like my brain got it and now I love it

i watched this video a couple of days ago, and while i appreciated the thought put into this, i still believed it to be too much of a stretch. but the next time i heard the song and noticed the horn synth starting early for the second chorus, gave me goosebumps, literally. the video is so wonderfully done, thank you! i was ashamed of eta being my third most listened to song last year, but now its proudly back on my playlist.

I always listen to ETA on my way to work, especially when I'm running late. The horn sound really pumps me up every single time I listen to it.

I honestly love the horn synth. ETA is one of my favorite k-pop songs that I'm really passionate about, because it was the 3rd k-pop song that my girl introduced me to when I knew nothing of it and this one is just SOOOO FREAKING MEMORABLE And part of what makes it memorable? it's the horn synth. It adds an element to the song of what I call the "kick", like something that just gets it pumped up. I really don't know how to describe it, but it makes the song so unique and amazing... in my opinion, ETA without the horn synth is like a bird without it's wings or a car without it's wheels!!

Ooh this analysis was on point!! Since the horns are present throughout the majority of the song to support the theme of warning signs, I love that Hanni’s line in the first verse has more subdued instrumentals which are followed by the pre-chorus being so much quieter. It really helps to deliver the subtle punch of the “He’s been totally lying” lyric and the immediate “Now that you mentioned it…” energy in the pre-chorus from the perspective of us. The progression throughout the song from intense to quiet totally mimics the ebb and flow that a conversation/confrontation between friends tends to have, especially when there’s something to be proven about a good-for-nothing, two-timing, backstabbing cheater!! 😤💢🚨

this song is so hardly coded into my brain that i heard a car horn while traveling by bus and IMMEDIATELY my head caught on that the pitch matched the first horn in ETA, that's how catchy this song is!! the no-horns version feels odd, empty, i can't really picture it as ever being thought that way, as you said they deliver the message so clearly!

the horn is the best árt on the melodic part of the song in my opinion, i cant see why people dont like it

My very first time hearing the horn i thought it was goofy 💀 now i love it and gets me in the mood of the song from the start

i used to hate the horn but now i think its great. it gives the sense of urgency of the song. without the horns it sounds completely empty. there is nothing apart from vocals and drums

amazing video, thank you so much for your insightful understanding of ETA and its album :)

ETA's producer watching this be like: Oh.. I just thought adding this random sample I found would be cool and it'd be neat if they were put on different beats.

new jeans goes harder than most casual pop lmao the producers r smart

i always assumed the horns were Newjeans friend's ringtone and the reason it was so consistent was because they were desesperately trying to tell her that her boyfriend is cheating, the whole song being what they say to her on said calls

when I first listened this song I felt like that horn was really weird but after listening 2 or 3 times I felt in love with the song and actually I feel like it is the best part of it! when I listen to the one without the horn I still can listen the horn on the background hahahah is my favorite song from NewJeans

whatever the horn is for, its what makes ETA, ETA! its one of the reasons I love the song so much

THE HORN SOUND IS LITERALLY MY FAV LOL😭😭

I love the horn sm

the horn is literally my favorite part of the song i never knew that people didn't like it😭😭

While I think you do a good job analyzing the horn synth from a storytelling standpoint, I think it's actually even more relevant to analyze as a musical device. A couple points: The composition is as you mention sparse. When played from a small mono smartphone speaker for instance, the synth is HEAVILY in front,.. This is because it falls in the same kind of upper mid range register that phone speakers reproduce well. I think this might be intentional, because the synth plays a percussive role (staying on just the one note) it gives a ton of drive to the song even from the crappiest speakers imaginable, or over a crowd or some other loud setting, it's still danceable because of that. Ironically this might be exactly why some people seem to not like it, because they only listen to it through bad speakers or in noisy environments. Secondly, the horn as a percussive instrument is interesting because unlike a drum or shaker it IS tuned. So even if the specific note it's playing is not the primary focus it does harmonize with the vocals and chords in different ways that would be completely lost if you can't hear the (sub) bass well. Actually this is the same kinda role tuned 808 kicks play in some genres. As I mentioned in my other comment I never really thought of the horn as annoying, but in trying to understand it I feel like without the distinct synth timbre it would be much less annoying. Imagine an actual trumpet playing that - it would absolutely be less grating on the ears. That being said, NewJeans are always hunting that specific Y2K UK garage/DnB type sound, which is what kinda ties it all together for me. Cheap synth sound, repetitive rhythms, it all fits into the specific sound they're aiming for. Also just an observation, but the horn has a distinct morse-like quality that might factor in to the story telling, but I don't really have much to say about that.

A really intelligible and coherent video. Good job

ETA song for the first listening -> annoying the second listening -> addicted…

It provides tension and that's like the song's signature sound now. And it sounds boring without it. 🤗

something i like about newjeans ks their breakcore vibe, the same music genre as superpuff girls opening. i find this detail very, very authentic. it's fun and it gives me the same vibes i said before: superpuff girls. energetic! and that's the album cover so yeah that horn is cool

2:38 I can't really PICK a favorite part of the song, but the part leading into the second chorus where the horns start early is REALLY good for some reason!!!! (Most of my favorite parts are in or near the chorus, for some reason. Except for the intro. And yes, I like the horns in ETA. I ALSO just like ETA in GENERAL!)

I’m not particularly adept at music but ETA is my favorite New Jeans song because of the horns. The focal character is hurriedly driving and the horns make me think of honking your horn out of road rage or people honking at you for risky stunts when driving in a rush. The whole narrative has this layer of frustration, the frustrated focal character who is emotionally falling apart at being cheated on but also New Jeans as the friends who despise him as well and are hounding her so she won’t stay with him. I think we’ve probably all had that point where someone we know is somewhat aware they’re in a bad relationship but doesn’t seem to change despite everyone telling them to and it’s never really a fight but this soft rage, the voice isn’t vicious but it’s tense and maybe more expressed in body language or passive aggressive actions. The end of the song when the lyric “on my arm” starts to just get incoherently gurgled out gave me that sense of the come down from it all, a little sad and regretting how bitter you were at each other after everything set in. I love it.

The horn synth adds party and life to the song and what makes it stands out more, that’s why I still love it

I really resonate with everything you're saying! ETA was one of my favorites on the EP and I think it highlighted how dynamic their sound can be while still stylistically sounding like the other music they've put out so far. It breaks up the rest of songs and without it, I think the EP would've been more soft and laid back. ETA brings a lot of energy and it makes me wonder how their other songs would sound with a similar layer of contrast added

ETA was unique and creative because of the horns. It's better there because "ETA" means "Estimated Time Of Arrival". And Busses have an ETA too. With the horns,it sounds like a bus beeping/horning to alert the people that it has arrived.

I love the way you write ur essays!

I never knew ppl had a problem with the synth, this is the first I hear abt it

the horn synth was surprising at first, and different.. but the song quickly grew on me and now i like it!

the horn sound is honestly so fun i love it

without the horn it kinda sounds like cool with you imo, but i like it with the horn more bcs without it its a bit boring for me

it sounds empty it isnt annoying. it adds life to the song

THE HORN FUCKING SLAPS

i think the horn adds more like chaos to the mv and everything honestly

Woah without the horn synth it’s more like smooth, the horns give more character to it

I like the horn synth

the supposed meaning of the horn synth just makes me like eta more. i love song lore in kpop

There's no way I would want to live in a world where ETA dont have that horn sound. I use it as my alarm and has saved me countless of times! Can't live without it.

The synth actually makes people feel the urgency and alarm hence they feel uncomfortable/annoyed. It served it's purpose and that's why ETA is a masterpiece.

pretty sure its also supposed to provide the vibe of a sound you’d hear at a really fun party, like the pool party you see them at in the beginning of the video