Abstract Summary
In 1202, Fibonacci, an Italian mathematician, created a mathematical sequence to model the reproduction of rabbits. Fibonacci used his sequence to explore patterns found in multiple areas outside of mathematics such as: nature, art, and architecture. Additionally, the Fibonacci sequence can be found in various forms of classical music. However, limited research has examined the Fibonacci sequence in other musical genres. This research explores the properties of the Fibonacci sequence and twenty-first century pop music. The question motivating this study is: Do the properties of the Fibonacci Sequence have a relationship with twenty-first century pop music? Five properties of the Fibonacci sequence were examined. After analyzing several articles that reviewed the Fibonacci Sequence in classical music, an in-depth inquiry revealed connections between two of the five properties. The relatively prime and the proportionality properties were the two analyzed in this study. Musical pieces from artists John Legend and Alessia Cara were examined using the above properties. Future research can determine if other mathematical properties or sequences influence the popularity of a song.
