What Makes This Song Great? “Kiss From A Rose” SEAL 

This type of “What makes this song great” is my favorite. I don’t listen to Seal. I don’t like pop music until Rick Beato gives me a reason to. This is so good. I’ve heard this song a billion times and I never actually listened to it until Rick showed me something in it that I never heard before. This is why I love you Rick Beato. Tell me why Soundgarden is great. Tell me why Pink Floyd is great. I already know why they’re great. Tell me why Seal is great? My minds blown.

I think Rick's secret mission is to shame contemporary songwriters into writing more interesting music.

Rick: "I'm going to call Seal and ask him." Me: "Ha ha, good one." Rick: Calls fucking Seal

"I didn't know I couldn't do that." 🤣 Seal was born to think outside the box. Loving it.

I remember when I was 6, middle of winter driving through neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights with my dad and grandma and this song came on the radio. And for some reason it became a core memory and I’ll always hold this song in my heart

Rick: "I'm gonna call Seal and ask him." Me: 😳😮😲

Rick: "The modal interchange between Gmaj and Gmin tonic is incredible" Seal: "Dude, I couldnt even play an instrument and did it in an afternoon."

So what you're telling me is that Seal is a musical genius and created perfection in a couple of hours without trying hard.

THANK YOU!! I've been screaming for years, this is one of the greatest songs of our generation. The balls to just open a chorus belting out, "BABAAAAY!" And then everything else, obviously. Fuck, that's good.

Seal's message at the end, I know he has limited control over his songs and how 'copyright' is enforced, BUT most of us who have been on RU-vid or even those artists who post their work on RU-vid KNOW why there's not as many educators on this platform.... There aren't as many people like Rick on YT because of the upside down laws and greed of publishers who punish people for being fans of the music they publish, to the point they don't understand that such educators like Rick actually extend the life of a song through their love of the song, thus making more money for the publishers. Too bad there are too many idiots on that side of that equation....

It's a beautiful song. Timeless quality. It has a touch of English Folk music.

"I'm gonna call seal and ask him". Just an all time flex.

Rick: "I'm gonna call Seal and ask him." WHY NOT?

Rick: "I'm gonna ask Seal myself" Me: "Haha good on... WAIT WHAT?"

God. This is obviously one of the greatest songs of the modern day, and even as someone who just adores this song, I honestly had no clue just how much was really going on in this song. Your expertise and your ability to parse the sounds and explain what we're hearing and why it's special is about as masterful as the song itself is. Even as someone who's heard this song probably thousands of times over the decades, your breakdown is still extremely eye-opening. This has given me a renewed appreciation for the engineering side of music.

He tapped into that undefined realm of music magic and came back with this gem.

“I wonder how he came up with this idea… hang on, lemme go call Seal.” That is some exceptional credibility Rick has built up over these past several years on RU-vid (not to mention prior to RU-vid) to be able to pull that out of the back pocket. Very cool!

If this gets a Copyright strike. Rick: "THE ARTIST IS IN THE VIDEO!!"

I love baroque,and Renaissance music and this song resonates to me. When I first heard Seal singing it, I became very emotional. The beauty of this song was incredible. I have to say I shed a tear, listening to it. I'm not a professional pianist but I went to my keyboard to pick out the song by ear. Now I can play it. I never tire of this song. Thank you Seal for having such a beautiful song in mind. And congratulations on your Grammy award.

I walked down the aisle on my wedding day to this song. Seal's discription of youth and then saying "what it means to you" is exactly why we chose it. Yet it seemed sophistication and "Adult" coming of age, souls reconnecting and growing up. Now 26 years of marriage later, I'm so glad we picked this song. It really is timeless and deserves all it is. Thank you Seal and Rick for reconnecting to memories that feed the soul.

Seal - what a humble soul. "I was just trying to figure out my new Tascam..."

Two ways you know you made it as an artist. 1) Rick Beato does an analysis of your song. 2) Weird Al does a parody of your song.

I for one never realized JUST HOW COMPLEX this song really is!😮😮😮😮 I truly see why it got song of the year

In his whole life, I don't believe Seal ever wrote anything like this. It's almost as if it was given directly to him by the angels and golly gee what an incredible voice...!

As a women, I have often tried to imagine what it feels like for a man to fall deeply in love, I think this song describes it without explaining it.

"I'm going to call Seal!" Man, that would be amazing. *Actually calls Seal* This is amazing!!!

I think this song is great because of how generous it is. Incredible melodies, harmonies, instruments, dynamics. While not every song needs to be this rich, in fact other songs can be overproduced, it's how much the artist is in service of the song and to the souls it would touch that counts.

The vocal jumps remind me of how one might play a guitar or woodwind instrument, strumming the string and then lifting your finger to immediately transition from a high note to a lower note. Being able to transition between those notes with that speed and smoothness definitely highlights Seal's vocal talent.

"What makes this song great?" A: When it's hard to finish the Beato video because you really want to just go listen to the song.

So basically Seal made this master piece because no one told him he "couldn't" do this or that... This is freaking powerful... And I love this song even more now!

Now I understand why it's so important to support this channel. Other creators may have produced a similar song breakdown video, but Rick got the stems, the access to Seal, and actually takes us through each verse, bridge, chorus, etc., isolates each track and gets to the bottom of what makes the song great. So, maybe now I'll consider the "Beato Bundle."

I believe this is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. The guided tour Rick provides (with the individual tracks, what a gift to have) shows how much these creative works rely on being a team effort. Every role, whether in arranging, or writing, or performing, contributes to the end result. The right people at the right time with the right effort and the right material produce magic. Congrats and everyone's gratitude go to Seal, without whom there would be no song. It was said early on that he disliked performing this song, thinking it wasn't very good. I think he's grown to appreciate its importance to the general public as well as to he himself as a creative artist. For whom this song opened doors.

The Beato flex! Pulls Seal up on the phone for a couple minutes, then back to business. Boss move. Next episode : "My Seal video was blocked"

Ultimate Beato Flex: Let's just facetime the artist and ask them.

I can never listen to this song just once. I always hit repeat, sometimes twice. It is absolutely magical!

An afternoon’s experimentation produced one of the most beautiful songs of all time 🥰 the best things come out of playing around!

This song is such a masterpiece

This series is the best thing on RU-vid. No question. Also, I want a shirt that says “I’m gonna call Seal and ask him”.

Now I understand why I like so much this song. The Seal voice plus all the orchestration and additional layers with all those details make this song perfect.

It's a beautiful song., arranged and sung impeccably well. Ed Sheeran hasn't written anything as good as this. Why Seal isn't a huge artist is beyond me. Who today writes this type of complex, sophisticated music? It's still as captivating today as it was when it was released. Pure class.

Some of the best things ever created came from “I didn’t really know people don’t normally do that,” creatives. 😂

"I'm just gonna call Seal and ask him a few questions." 😆 Let's just appreciate the fact that these are unprocessed real vocals. Incredible dynamics, emotion and perfectly in tune without auto tune. And even though Seal is the star of the song it's easy to check that the rest of the musicians are top notch.

I instantly loved this song the first time I heard it when it came out and even played it as my children’s “wake up alarm” when they were small. As a lifelong musician (keyboards) who loves the integrity and intricacy of music, I applaud everything you do to help millions appreciate music.

In Europe we were introduced to Seal by his collaboration with the electronic artist Adamski and ther single "Killer" in 1990. Already then one could tell he was a very special artist.

Seal isn't talked about enough in my opinion. Amazing voice, great songs!

Seal is a grammy award winning artist and I still think he's underrated.

I have always liked this song. It feels like mystery, romance, and hope all rolled into one. Is it just me or do these chords sound like great jazz. The timing of his vocals feel that way too. ❤

This is one of my most favorite songs. I could listen to it all day. I feel transported into an ethereal realm where I wish I could stay. I am so grateful for your analysis as you have made me love it even more. I'm a amateur musician and I used to be a professional dancer. How did I never realize this was in 3/4 time?!🤔 shame. So beautiful. I let it envelope me. And you interviewed seal? Stop. You've blown my mind completely. Thank you. ❤❤

It is seriously unbelievable that Rick is providing this level of music education at people's fingertips. You can learn more in one of Rick's videos than three years of study in the past.

Nobody ever analyzes Seal's music, and I've always thought this song was a compositional masterpiece. Kudos, Rick, for unpacking this!

This song gave me goosebumps from day one. You can feel the passion. Plus I love historical music, so I was sold on the first notes. This is a song you feel. And you explained why beautifully. Heartbeat. And that’s why we listen over and over

In a hundred years this song will be considered a part of the classical repertoire alongside Chopin and Schubert, and a literary masterpiece alongside Keats and Ben Jonson. To hear Seal say that he wrote this in an afternoon is like hearing that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in a week! Simply incredible!

You interviewed him and didn't interrupt him, that's like a miracle this days

Heard this in 1994 & knew it was great. Now, in 2021 Rick Beato shows us why.

As a musician - YES, I love covering this song for all the reasons Rick mentioned. It is an underrated masterpiece. I love this song so much that I even sent it on my wife's voicemail years ago, long before she became my wife. Needless to say... 😄💖 And my interpretation of the title line is "Kiss from a rose on the grave." That's because I envision the singer is mourning the loss of his love and placing a rose on her grave. That's the beauty of art. It is whatever you make of it.

I didn't understand how beauty can move a soul to tears until this song. The parts are as moving as the whole. Thank you for this video. Thumbs up! Oh! My heart.

*THIS WAS POP MUSIC* .....that hit hard.

Huge respect for Seal on his humility and openness with us all! A real artist, right there.

I was in my late teens or early 20s when i first heard this song and i instantly loved it. But I was mocked by friends for loving something that wasn’t traditional to what I “should” be listing to i.e soul or reggae. But this song gave me all the feels. It brought me into another realm. I could imagine harpsichords being played or people dancing to this in a Tudor court or something. It’s just a beautiful and historical piece with real instruments and choral elements. It’s still in itunes playlist & i’m in my 50s now.

I think you can have three verses in this song because the verse is just so damn catchy, its almost as memorable as the chorus

Rick looks like a giddy mad scientist as he’s explaining the intricacies of this song.

Rick: ‘This is my favourite part of the song!’ 8 minutes later ‘No, THIS is my favourite part of the song!’...10 minutes after that, ‘No, hold on, wait this is my favourite part of the song!’ Brilliant stuff, Rick and kudos to Seal for being such an excellent, generous and hugely talented bloke.

Wow, almost 30 years later. I've loved this song since I was a child. Now, I have a whole new appreciation for it ❤ 🎶

July 1995.... This song is on the radio all the time. I am pregnant with my youngest son and have morning sickness all day long... As soon as the vocals start, I am instantly sick to my stomach.... Just like Pavlov and his dogs.... My son is 27 years old and I still feel ill when it is on. Still waiting for my Pavlovian response to go away... LOL! I have always said this is an awesome song, I just have a terrible reaction to it!

Man... From time to time I've lost my faith in music. It was a time like this in the early 90's, I couldn't listen to new music, nothing give me goosebumps like the old songs. I was starting a career as a producer and sound engineer in studio. Then one day at the local tv news (I'm from Brasil) they said it was the debut of a song that will be in the next Batman movie, and they rolled a clip of scenes from the movie with Kiss From a Rose... Man... I can't describe what I felt, it was like some religious experience. I've listened to the whole song as nothing else was hapenning around me, it was magic. The next day I went a little early to the studio, just to shop for Seal's new cd. I've listened to that song for the first time in a acoustic treated room with a pair o nice monitors. I would do that again and again over the years. Here I am today, more than 25 years later, a 50 year old man, an well succeded professional (four times latin Grammy award winner) with my eyes filled with tears listening to that song again and feelling what Rick feels with every detail of this incredible song. Thank you Seal, what a masterpiece. Thank you Rick, for the good job you're doing for the music world. Love you guys!

Also, can we talk about how Seal hasn’t aged a DAY in almost 30 years?

This song has a special meaning to me. It was one of the most painful periods of my life. It helped me get through. Music is therapeutic.

I’m not a musician but I love that Rick explains how to listen …. because there are so many layers that I would miss. This song is one of my favourites 😊

It is so hard to figure out which is more awesome: this song by Seal, Seal's sublime vocal talent, or Rick's passion for helping us understand why we have always loved this song, but just could not explain it!

Seal is a very underappreciated artist

I used to play the song over and over. this is clearly one of my favourite song ever, as if it is a gift from God. The entire composition is definitely a masterpiece, but i think the strings gave soul to this song. The break at the end part always give me chill, especially from the strings. God ,I love this song so much. Thank you rick for creating this episode.

I always knew I liked the song but now I understand it's acrually a masterpiece

Does anyone else get the sense that this channel is hitting a turning point? I have a feeling we might start seeing more artists appear both for the exposure as well as the service that Rick is providing extolling the virtues of their music. Hopefully less senseless blocking too. Congrats Rick. Your passion is paying off (at least I hope so).

Rick's enthusiasm for music is so infectious! My initial thoughts were "oh cool, it's that nice song from Batman" and half way through the video I'm slowly being convinced that it's one of the greatest songs ever recorded. This happens every time he uploads a video.

The strings from 18:12 to 18:32 are terrifyingly incredible! Seal doesn’t get enough flowers for this song.

After Rick's analysis, I have to say I appreciate this song and artist much more.

Rick I have a brain hearing condition that makes it impossible for me to pick out all the intricacies of music which means I might hear vocals but miss instrumentals or I would get the lyrics wrong. These videos have opened a whole new world of music to my ears. TY so much.

I love how medieval-sounding this song is. Very catchy.

Seal's first two albums are so great! His vocals are just so smooth. I mean, Crazy is a great song. Violet...just every song from those first two albums, and also the lyrics are really compelling as well. I still listen to both of those albums even now.

The song is so multifaceted that it might have fitted perfectly as the main theme in any epic movie score. It's beyond perfection.

Met him in 2000 while I was managing the Man Of The Year awards at Radio City Music Hall. Actually stood in the wings as he sang this. There is not a moment that will ever compare. This song brings me to tears, always.

Not gonna lie, at this point I bet people will start reaching out to Rick to get some fresh juice on their catalogs. You're the best man. A true innovator, you've perfected something truly new and have created a whole genre of media.

I've always been entranced by the harmonic complexity of this song. I appreciate it so much more as you break it down. Color me freshly enamored. AND OMGOSH YOU ACTUALLY GOT TO TALK TO HIM.

My mom had his album growing up where his face was textured on the cover and i found that absolutely intriguing, i loved it. This song will always be one of those comforts from my childhood.

Rick: “Kiss from a Rose” is off Seal’s second record, Seal II. Me, a ‘90s kid: Excuse me, don’t you mean the BATMAN FOREVER soundtrack?

Seal just slayed us all saying “yeah I wrote that in about 2 hours”.

This might be the greatest song ever written, composed and sang. Definitely in my top 10.

One of my favorite music and soundtrack from the movie back in the 90s. Rick personally I never got to go through music school or the arts but now in my 40s - just listening to your break down of this iconic song; it takes me back to remembering why I fell in love with the song, the acoustics, percussions and all the beautiful elements that make up this great song of those years and time!! It brings me to tears really, and adding to that the nostalgic feeling I remembered when this Batman movie came out ..to me still as a Batman fan, it is almost out of this world!! GOD Bless ya Rick

I was listening to this WMTSG while driving. Ten minutes in, I pulled over and re-started the video so I could watch Rick. Lesson learned: don’t Beato and drive...

"It felt like the right thing to do," is the most artistic statement ever.

This song is pure magic and it's my favorite song ever. The 2023 version of it is even more incredible with more orchestration! Now I understand its magic! Thank you!

I remember listening to this song for the first time when I was 13, my history teacher brought it to class for some reason I can't remember but one thing i remember is being immediately in chills as soon as it started, I went home eager to look him up online and ever since it became one of my favorite songs ever. Me and other students in school used to refer to Seal as "the soft voice guy". Timeless masterpiece.

Isolated vocals in the bridge = actual tears. Incredibly moving.

Trevor Horn is a God level producer. That first Seal album is PERFECT

One word has always summed up this masterpiece for me.. That word ... Righteousness .. One of the greatest of all time..

This song is one of my all time favorites, but hearing Rick dissect it track by track, makes me love it even more. Each track sounds amazing on its own! Plus Seal explaining the line "kiss from a rose on the grey" vs "kiss from the rose on the grave" was gold. I used this song for a high school English project and accidentally started a debate because of that line!

The fact that Seal claims that this song "just kind of happened" in the space of two-three hours in an afternoon, and that it draws on so many patterns from classical music just speaks volumes of his musical intellect. What a song and what a musician! I mean just listen to 12.40-12.47. Amazing!!

I love when song writers say, "I was too ignorant to know I wasn't supposed to do that." And they've come up with something brilliant.

This song travelled with me and my family on an incredible journey, from, L.A., to Guadeloupe; to Paris and my first real winter . In an kaleidoscope of new, smells, sights and sounds. The medieval cords, with Seals soulful and complex vocals; marked us in ways that are wonderful and strange. I know this post is a year old, don't know how it found me, but, thank you.

It's sometimes so hard to hear and conscious appreciate a lot of the song because Seal's vocals are SO utterly dominant and magical that it's hard to focus on anything else haha.