Postchorus

A postchorus is a musical section that follows the chorus in a song and serves to extend, repeat, or elaborate on the material introduced by the chorus. It is not a fixed formal element in every genre, but it is widely used in contemporary pop, rock, R&B, and hip-hop to prolong the hook and maintain energy after the main chorus.

Common characteristics of a postchorus include a concise length, a focus on hook-driven material, and a texture that may be simpler or more chant-like than the chorus itself. It can reuse the chorus melody with different lyrics, add fresh lines or ad-libs, or present a brief instrumental or vocal refrain. The emphasis is often on immediacy and catchiness rather than narrative development, making it distinct from verses or bridges.

In terms of placement, the postchorus appears after the chorus and may lead into another chorus, an outro, or a final refrain. It is distinguished from a pre-chorus, which appears before the chorus to build anticipation, and from a bridge, which provides contrast and typically leads back to the chorus.

Usage and variation: postchoruses are flexible in form and can take the shape of a short chant, a repeated hook, a crowd-like refrain, or a stripped-down instrumental passage. The term is widely used in music-production discussions to describe sections that function as after-chorus material, though not all songs with such material are explicitly labeled as having a postchorus.