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10 songs that feel like 1 step forward, 3 steps back
Matched to 1 step forward, 3 steps back by Olivia Rodrigo on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 97% feel-match — carries the same emotional pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (19/100).
99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (20/100). Same smooth texture.
Keeps the same emotional pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (16/100). Measured 94% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).
Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (21/100). Same smooth texture.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same intimate pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (21/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (92 BPM).
95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (20/100). Same smooth texture.
Keeps the same intimate pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (21/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (93 BPM).
Measures 93% the same. It sits a little calmer at 15/100. Same smooth texture.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same intimate pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (20/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).
94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 15/100. Same smooth texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when 1 step forward, 3 steps back is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 32/100, down from 21. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 2 where the original climbs to 5, so it lands at 8/100 — the pull without the edge.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 28/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 21/100, versus the original's 21.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 5. Intensity 11/100, down from 21.
It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 23/100 — the pull without the edge.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 25/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 27/100, versus the original's 21.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “1 step forward, 3 steps back” by Olivia Rodrigo?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry” by Hank Williams, “Feathered Indians” by Tyler Childers, “Mythological Beauty” by Big Thief — the top match scores 97% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.
What songs are like “1 step forward, 3 steps back” but calmer?
“Please, Please, Please” by James Brown, “I Remember Everything” by John Prine, “If I Were a Boy” by Beyoncé keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “1 step forward, 3 steps back”?
It measures 21/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 5/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 90 BPM.
How do you decide which songs are similar?
Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
This sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 87% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 21/100 comes from a dynamic range of 5/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 88% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
2021 in context
The 410 songs we’ve measured from 2021 average a dynamic range of 6.2/10. At 5/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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