Have you ever noticed a song sounding very familiar? You might have heard a sample from a hit song from the 80’s. From hearing “When I hear music, it makes me dance” in “squabble up” to implementing gothic melodies in Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” current music artists are successfully gaining praise for their astonishing albums while artistically sampling 80’s music. But, what does it mean to sample a song?
Sampling is the method of incorporating a snippet of existing audio, such as melodies, lyrics, and/or rhythm. However, artists who want to use a snippet of any song must gain permission to use the audio to avoid copyright issues. Why would an artist want to sample a song for their upcoming album? The art of sampling can develop depth for their upcoming project or create nostalgia for their listeners. For instance, Kendrick Lamar’s GNX attracted many teenagers and young adult listeners with his biggest hit tracks: “luther (with SZA),” “squabble up,” and “tv off (feat. lefty gunplay), but those same songs caught the attention of older listeners who enjoyed the nostalgic sounds of 80’s. For example, before the Super Bowl performance, many parents noticed their kids consistently replaying songs from Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, which led them to ask their kids if they recognized the melodies and lyrics used in GNX. After their kids were unsure, their parents began introducing them to 80’s music which Kendrick Lamar sampled. But it’s not just Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd and Lady Gaga’s latest albums contain samples from an influential gothic 80’s band and the King of Pop to create an outstanding album that a listener hasn’t heard from yet feels familiar at the same time. Let’s introduce to you which songs Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, and Lady Gaga sampled in their latest album.
Kendrick Lamar
From winning five Grammy awards to performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2025, Kendrick Lamar developed a critically acclaimed album, GNX, that respectively samples 80’s music to create nostalgia from the era and pays homage to the artists he sampled from. In “squabble up,” the most noticeable lyrics when the sample sings “When I hear music, it makes me dance, you got the music, now is your chance.” The melody that you hear consistently throughout the track would be Debbie Deb’s 1983 club smash “When I Hear Music.” The sample of Debbie Deb, best known for freestyling music, is incorporated throughout the track to evoke nostalgia toward adults who grew up with 80s music and create an artistic contrast between an 80s upbeat tone and his well-known introspective and dark lyricism. He doesn’t stop there. If you were to press play on “luther (with sza), you would immediately notice a vocalist singing “if this world were mine,” but whose voice was it? The velvety voice full of warmth is Luther Vandross, an American soul and R&B singer featured on a cover song with Cheryl Lynn: “If This World Were Mine.” Their cover of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell inspired Kendrick Lamar to sample the 1982 song with Luther Vandross’ vocals beautifully incorporated to tie in the melodies and complement SZA’s voice, which brought the song “luther (with sza)” to another level and became one of the biggest hits on GNX.
The Weeknd
Abel Tesfaye, a Canadian singer and songwriter, created a trilogy around the stage name and persona of The Weeknd. To end this trilogy, he produced his sixth studio album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, to create a finale for his persona. But how did he introduce his album? His first track from the album, “Wake Me Up,” samples the iconic melody from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” In 1982, Michael Jackson produced Thriller, a classic and best-selling studio album, which contained alluring songs that positively impacted and influenced people around the world just like The Weeknd. For instance, if you were to play “Wake Me Up,” you would immediately notice the melody sounds exactly like “Thriller.” His artistic decision to sample the King of Pop for The Weeknd’s closing develops a connection between mastering the creation of his persona with references to his global success in producing pop music like Michael Jackson. In addition, his use of sampling and interpolation in Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” pays homage to his inspiration that influenced his music style, which led the album to succeed and land #1 on the music charts.
Lady Gaga
An icon from the 2000s who consistently produces iconic songs and melodies for the world to hear wherever they go. Lady Gaga, an American singer and songwriter, is hands down the best example of an influential artist who redesigned versatility as a music artist from the 2000s and continues in 2025 with her latest album: MAYHEM. Does an icon ever get inspired by another icon? In MAYHEM, Lady Gaga samples and interpolates the influential gothic band, Siouxsie and the Banshees, for her outstanding song: “Abracadabra.” In the 1970s, Siouxsie and the Banshees defined post-punk and became post-punk pioneers, which influenced the goth scene with their originality and gothic rock elements within their albums. In 2025, their gothic influence inspired Lady Gaga for her album where she takes Siousxie and the Banshees’ “Spellbound” to complement the theme of using magic. In addition, her use of incorporating Siouxie and the Banshees’ introduction from “Spellbound” within “Abracadabra” is subtle yet beautifully developed. For instance, the innovative song creatively sampling “Spellbound” creates chaos with its gothic elements, which fits Lady Gaga’s intention for MAYHEM. Her creation of “Abracadabra” and her use of sampling a gothic rock song resulted in Lady Gaga’s album to land #1 on the music chart and introduced fans to goth music while capturing goths’ attention to her artistic music.
Who knew so many songs can sound so familiar? The next time you play your favorite song or hear the radio’s top hits, try listening attentively to the lyrics, melody, or rhythm, because, you may never know, your favorite artist and/or band could be sampling another iconic 80s song. Listen carefully or you might miss it!