# Bittersweet — Mood

> Mix of joy and sadness. Beautiful but tinged with sorrow. Major-minor blend.

## Defining elements

- Major key with minor moments (or vice versa)
- Mid tempo (80-110 BPM)
- Beautiful melody with somber undertones
- Often uses major 7 chords
- Vocals warm but melancholy

## Sub-types

### Bittersweet pop
- Modern singer-songwriter
- Examples: Sara Bareilles, Adele
- "Someone Like You" — joyful chord, sad lyric

### Indie bittersweet
- Folk + emotional
- Examples: Sufjan Stevens, Phoebe Bridgers
- Joy + melancholy intertwined

### Bittersweet ballad
- Big emotional moments
- Mix of major + minor
- Examples: "Rainbow" — Kacey Musgraves

### Cinematic bittersweet
- Film score moments
- Examples: Joe Hisaishi sad-happy themes

### Memory-based
- Looking back fondly with sadness
- Examples: "Time After Time" — Cyndi Lauper

## Instrumentation suggestions

- Piano (warm with minor 7 chords)
- Acoustic guitar (fingerpicked)
- Strings (subtle)
- Soft drums (or none)
- Cello (depth)
- Vocal harmonies

## Vocal style

- Warm but emotional
- Slight vulnerability
- Both genders work
- Restrained delivery
- Sometimes voice cracks for emotion

## Lyrics direction

- Joy mixed with loss
- Bittersweet memories
- "I'm happy you're happy (without me)"
- Acceptance with sadness
- Beautiful endings
- Letting go gracefully

## For Suno

```
[Style: bittersweet indie folk, 90 BPM, F major with frequent minor 
moments and major 7 chords, piano + acoustic guitar + soft strings + 
subtle drums, female mezzo vocals warm but emotional with vulnerability, 
nostalgic and beautiful atmosphere]
```

## Avoid

- Pure happy or pure sad (must blend)
- Aggressive tempo
- Loud distortion
- Generic emotion
- Fast resolution

## Examples (reference)

- "Someone Like You" — Adele
- "Rainbow" — Kacey Musgraves
- "Time After Time" — Cyndi Lauper
- "Photograph" — Ed Sheeran
- "Yesterday" — The Beatles
- "Skinny Love" — Bon Iver
- "Saman Yolu" — Sezen Aksu (Turkish bittersweet)

## Cultural variants

- Western bittersweet: piano + warmth
- Turkish bittersweet: arabesk
- Russian bittersweet: bard tradition
- Azerbaijani bittersweet: bayatı style
- Latin bittersweet: bolero
