Type your response to the following prompt as a Word document and be sure to proofread and edit before you paste and post. You will be assessed using the English Department's Short Essay Response Rubric.Check either Billboard or Rolling Stone for the current list of America's top 50 songs. Choose at least 3 songs; avoid any songs you are very familiar with. Listen/study the lyrics to the selected songs. Consider the subject matter, content and point of view of today's top songs and identify lines which contain poetic merit. What do these songs, as a whole, say about our modern American culture? In particular, what do these songs say about your generation as the greatest consumers of music media? How are gender roles represented in popular music? How is success measured?
33 comments:
The song i choose was blame it on me by Chrisette Michele. I never heard the song before, and as i studied the lyrics, her point trying to be made was that she doesn't want a relationship. However, she still loves him. She wants freedom and the love that she had is fading away. she doesn't care how it ends or even if he blames the whole "break up" on her, she just wants out. The song says about our geneeration is basically is that all we really want is someone that we can stay in a relationship with and if someone isint the right person that it isint going to work.
-Tamika Qualls
The second song i choose was In Love with Another Man, by Jasmine Sullivan. The song is about her being in love with another man and she sorry that this has to happen but she can't go on pretending shse loves him when really she doesn't. She thinks that her man should find another girl that can treat hiim right cuase she can't. I can't seem to find any poetic devices. This song says about our generation is that even thiough me might think we found the right person out there, there always might be someone better that you love and you didn't see this commin, but you can't help how you feel.
-Tamika Q.
Yea... Someone hacked into my email for some dumb reason and changed my password so i had 2 make a new email account and a new blog, and on tuesday i need u to help me use gadget 2 add ur blog and others blog's cuz its not working properly for some odd reason. But yea here's my new link:
http://undergrounddarkness.blogspot.com/
Out of 50 songs to choose from, the first song I chose was "Whatcha say" by Jason DeRulo. This song caught me by the eye because of it's title which is a line in the song "Hide and Seek" that was made popular by an SNL skit. Not to my surprise, it turned out to be another unoriginal song that just remixes an old one like Kanye West's "Stronger" which is a rip off of Daft Punk. Regardless, this song must be reviewed so here goes nothing. First off the practically stolen chorus comes on, which is actually a verse from none other than "Hide and Seek". After the chorus comes the first verse, where it becomes obvious that the point of view is, like most of today's music, of Jason apologizing to this girl for something that he did wrong. This song contains only rhyme, the occasional alliteration, like "So, now I know I should of treated you better/
But me and you were meant to last forever" and one instance of a metaphor about Jason cheating on someone "Cause when the roof cave in and the truth came out." This song being #4 of today's music really shows that people don't care what the music is about, they just want to dance to it. It also recommends that men in our culture abandon girls a lot and are stupid for it. All in all, this song is just another cliche song about a guy apologizing to a girl, stole lyrics from another song, and means nothing whatsoever.
The second song that i have chosen is "I gotta feeling." This song was written by Black Eyed Peas, which is a pretty well known band. This song starts off with the chorus repeating itself over 9000 times. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but a great deal of songs do this. After the parade of a chorus' the song jumps into motion and starts talking about living up the night, breaking stuff, wasting money, and being stressed out. If you piece the puzzle together it becomes clear that this song is an extended metaphor about getting drunk. After listening through this song 4 times the only thing that i have noticed other than an extended metaphor is rhyme, rhyme, and rhyme. The song is very catchy, which is most likely why it is rated #5 in America, but it does not contain more than 2 poetic devices. This song is another instance of people our generation not caring what music says and just liking it because it's good to dance to.
The third and final song i chose was Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." I felt this song was appropriate because the last 2 songs that i reviewed contained no more than 3 poetic devices and i did not expect Miley Cyrus to have ANY poetic devices. Somehow i was wrong, it has a whopping 1. Surprisingly this song actually has rhyme! Apparently all you need in this generation is a catchy tune and a rhyme to become successful. Alright, I'm being a little harsh, this song is also a narrative, but that's it! This song backs up my theory of people in this generation do not care about what a song means, but only if it is catchy. This is not a bad thing, but it would have been nice to see an oxymoron or, god forbid, a simile.
-Jason Oliva.. we are supposed to post this as a reply to YOUR post right? Meh, I'll print a hard copy too.
In today’s society, values and morals are easily forgotten and disregarded. Music is slowly evolving for the worst. Artists such as pop diva, Britney Spears and rap legend, Lil Wayne, load their songs with suggestive and most of the time vulgar lyrics. Although many artists use negativity in their songs, there is the exception of artists like Miley Cyrus and Jesse McCartney who depict real life struggles and most of the time, positive outcomes. Many may argue that music today only displays the moral corruption and downfall of society today. With lyrics laced with sex, drugs, and deceit, it proves difficult to reject that statement.
Carrie Underwood is an award winning country singer who usually incorporates happy, light lyrics into her songs. A few include, “Some Hearts”, “All-American Girl”, and “So Small”. While most of Underwood’s music makes you feel good, a couple of her songs are a little cliché and stereotypical too. For example, Underwood’s new song, “Cowboy Casanova” is shown from the point of view of a woman who is basically addicted to a notorious male playboy. She sees the “Casanova” as “a devil in disguise” and “a snake with blue eyes”, things that seem unattractive, but women just cannot resist. She speaks of previously being hypnotized and wrapped around his finger, but now knows what he’s really about. She warns other women “don’t even look in his eyes” and to “run run away” before they get sucked in by his charm. This song does show the moral corruption and downfall of society today. She shows the fact that men even today, have great power and persuasion over women and women are vulnerable. Not only does Underwood expose the truth about men and women today, but she even manages to use literary devices too. She uses alliteration in the title, “Cowboy Casanova”, “candy-coated” and “devil in disguise”. She also uses imagery throughout the whole song, a few examples include, “Looks like a cool drink of water” and “a snake with blue eyes”.
Newcomer, Lady Gaga, isn’t exactly subtle with her sexually suggestive and sometimes downright crazy lyrics in some of her new songs. Her new song “Paparazzi” takes psychotic, stalker motives to the next level. The point of view is a celebrity stalker/photographer who is following a new, up incoming starlet. She uses lines like, “Need that picture of you”, “I’ll follow you until you love me”, and “Don’t stop for anyone” to show the obsession that this person has for the celebrity. Lady Gaga uses humor to prove how crazy the photographers really act in lines such as, “We’re plastic but we’ll still have fun!” and “loving you is cherry pie”. This song basically shows how crazy and bizarre the photographers can get and that they really have no life other than documenting every second of the celebrities’. It is truly scary to see that this is what our world has come to and how hungry we are to get even get a mere snapshot of celebrities doing such plain things like pumping gas or eating a burger. We are fascinated with celebrities, as if they are some kind of foreign creature, and Lady Gaga is simply putting it into words.
Rap music is arguably the most vulgar, explicit, and violent music of today; hence why the youth loves it. For some odd reason, today’s youth just cannot get enough swears, sexual acts, and killing in their music. Is it probably part rebellion? Yes. Are those type of lyrics good for young teens to be listening to? No. With the exception of some, most rap songs are packed with this type of content, but on the other hand, most of it is complete nonsense too. For example, “Throw it in the Bag” by Fabolous featuring The-Dream is a very stereotypical song. This song depicts big superstars who don’t think twice about throwing their money away. Lines like, “f*** the price on the tag” and “Just throw it in the bag” make us wonder: what kind of society are we living in? First of all, there is a recession going on; people are supposed to be saving their money, if they even have any at all. The fact that it is seen as right to not even look at price tags and just buy everything is very irresponsible and inconsiderate. There are people starving all around the world, people with no home, and the fact that people see it okay to just waste money is unfathomable to me. The rapper even goes as far as to say, “Look at price tags, where they do that at?” This whole song is about materialistic items and loaded with expensive labels such as, “Louie Vuttion”, “Gucci”, and refers to Mercedes Benz as “Benzes”. He brags about all the clothes, shoes, and cars he has throughout the whole song. Yes, the song is a little catchy, but that’s because the unnecessary repetition of the uh-huh’s make it easy for us to sing along. If “Throw it in the Bag” is a representation of how society is today, then that’s very sad. If we think that the only to please ourselves and others is through material things, there is a big problem. Could this song be satirical and possible be showing us how ridiculous we are getting with spending? Yes, it could; but unfortunately, I don’t think in this situation, it’s the case considering the fact that the artist fails to even spell his name correctly.
In conclusion, there is adequate proof that there has been a downfall in society. All three songs that I chose were directly from the Billboard top 100 list, which tells a lot. I chose the songs randomly and they were all negative. The youth today is a very big part in the decision of the songs that grace the top of the charts. The song selection is obviously reflected upon how teens live or would like to live their lives today. Most of the songs are scarred with sex, drugs, crime, and much more. Unfortunately, most of the lyrics are negative and a bad influence. Kids see the things that celebrities do and they want to follow their lead, whether positive or negative. These songs show the decline of society, which hopefully will change sooner than later.
My first song that I choose was Cowboy Casanova by Carrie Underwood. I’m not really a big fan of country but I thought taking a look at a country song couldn’t hurt. Carrie Underwood is one of the more famous country sings and explodes minds with her all but famed voice. The lyrics to the song are pretty straight forward. She explains how she wants to get away from her love but her heart wants her to stay. She references love to drugs how her love is addicting like some drugs. Then she states that he will say whatever you want to hear and how he will mess with your heart. Carrie warns others that it just a matter of time before he breaks your heart. The basic idea of the song is that love is risky and it is never easy.
The second song I choose was Never Say Never by the Fray. At first I didn’t know the song but after I listened to it I started to enjoy the song and its meaning. It begins by stating the people have bad moments in love, some worse than others. It also goes on to say that he doesn’t want to be alone. The next verse he explains how he will listen you her and will follow her and protect her. He sings that they pull apart then come together again and again. The whole song is from the singer’s point of view explaining that he will always be by her side and he can’t live without her.
The third song I chose was Break by Three Days Grace. It is a different style of music than the other two. It has more of a rock and hard rock tone. The song is from the singer’s point of view. He talks about how he is beginning to break away from everything. Then he starts to say that people should break away and get themselves away from the world. He message is saying that if your sick of the world then do something about it and change your view of the world.
Three songs on the Billboard top 100 songs that could represent American culture are Down by Jay Sean, You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift, and I Gotta Feelin by The Black Eyed Peas. These songs are within the top 10 songs. Down by Jay Sean is about a guy trying to get in a relationship with a girl basically and she doesnt trust him. One line with poetic material is "Tonight is the night to let it go, put on a show." American girls might like it because it shows affection. You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift is about how a young girl loves a boy who has a girlfriend but shes mean and he should be with her. "And you have a smile that can light up this whole town. I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down." is one line that rymes....
Billboard Top 100
#6. Paparazzi: Lady Gaga
The song Paparazzi is about someone being a paparazzi. It also leads you to think that Lady Gaga is being a paparazzi to the person she loves, like being obsessed with them. Within the song I saw many examples of irony like, "I'm your biggest fan, Ill follow you until you love me/ Papa, paparazzi". I thought this was ironic because celebrities are known for hating the paparazzi, but she is being a paparazzi to her "love". I think that this is number six of the Billboard Top 100 because people like the beat of the song, not so much what she is saying. This shows that our country is somewhat obsessed with our celebrities. Everything is based upon what the celebrities are photographed doing.
#4. Whatcha Say: Jason DeRulo
The song Whatcha Say is about someone cheating on their boyfriend/girlfriend and they regret it. This song showed little poetic devices, but I thought, in the verse, "Mmmm whatcha say/ Mmm that you only meant well?/Well of course you did", is humor because that is one person who's been cheating on response to the cheaters excuses. This song is number four on the Billboard Top 100 because, like Paparazzi, people like the beat of the song. Both, Paparazzi and Whatcha Say have very little poetic devices. This shows that music has become more of a image than actually creating good music.
#10. Empire State Of Mind: Jay-Z + Alicia Keys
The song Empire State of Mind is about someone moving out of the "hood" and moving to New York. The poetic device found is hyperbole, "In New York!!!!/Concrete jungle where dreams are made of/There's nothing you can’t do/Now you're in New York!!!/These streets will make you feel brand new". This is an example of a hyperbole because they are making New York sound like the place for all opportunities, and in some cases, it is not. I think this song is number ten on the Billboard Top 100 because Jay Z is one of the most well-known rappers. People are drawn to his music. Also, i think that most people in the US believe that New York is the land of opportunities.
Chris White
Per.B Poetry of Song
10/8/09
Billboard top songs
The top songs of today help define our modern culture and effect how we will be looked back upon by future generations. Choosing three songs to look at in the top 50 list from “Billboard” will give an insightful look into today’s culture. The three songs chosen are: “Run This Town” by Jay-Z ft. Rihanna and Kanye West, “Obsessed” by Mariah Carey, and “Best I Ever Had” by Drake. These three songs are currently located at 3, 6 and 14 on Billboard’s top list and will provide a helpful perspective into today’s modern culture.
The first song being examined is a rap/hip-hop song called “Run This town” by Jay-Z ft. Rihanna and Kanye West. The subject matter of this song is basically who is going to take over as “top dog” and how if you’re not man enough to do it then get out before you’re too far in to turn around. It is also about two men who think they’re ready for the job and give reasons why they would be good and why they desire the leadership position so badly. One line that contains poetic merit is “Who’s going to run this town tonight?” which is basically asking, who is going to take over as “alpha male”.
The second song being examined is "Obsessed" by Mariah Carey. The subject matter in the song is dissing a fellow song writer/rapper Eminem, basically saying that the supposed relationship they had never really happened. The song is also saying that even if he was the last man on earth he wouldn't love him. "Tellin' the world how much missed me, But we never were so why you trippin' "? Which is basically stating that everthing that Eminem told the media about their relationship was false and they were never together.
The third song being examined is "Best I Ever Had" by Drake. The subject matter of this song is blatent in that it is talking about all the women Drake had ever been with and how he told them all that they were his favorite. In a sence it is about how men tend to lie to women to exploit them. One line with poetic merit is "Never pay attention to them rumors and what they assume" because he is disclaiming that the rumor about him and all the women isn't true and are blown way out of proportion.
These songs as a whole say alot about our modern American culture. One thing it says is that our needs are now selfish and we have a culture that is completely about themselves and are not worried about what other people think of them. What this says about our us as a whole is that people aren't as interested in poetic devices and lyrical value anymore, but instead love a good beat and a good rhyme scheme. Males are represented as womanizing where as women are represented as strong and independent. Success isn't measured in hard work anymore, but is measured in payroll, amount of women and popularity. This shows alot about our our culture and the direction we are headed in, whether it is good or bad for us as a nation.
The majority of today’s most popular songs feature the same themes that have been so often used in the past. Love and passion are always relevant ideas, and they continue to serve as the subject matter for modern songs, but in a much different way than they once did. Also, some of the most popular songs are sung by young singers, such as Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. Lyrics that glorify the experience of young adulthood tend to create the most publicity, and many of Billboard’s Top 100 Music Hits concern partying and, in general, enjoying life. Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” The Black Eyed Pea’s “I Gotta Feeling,” and Drake’s “Forever” perfectly exemplify modern’s music attitude towards love, parties, and success, while still retaining varying degrees of poetic merit.
From a literary standpoint, much of today’s music is lacking the lyricism and eloquence of the songs from previous generations. For example, the song “I Gotta Feeling” accomplishes little in the field of poetic devices aside from basic alliteration, as in “tonight’s gonna be a good good night.” Also, the song features an element of humor, but it is largely just another song to dance and sing along with. Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” on the other hand, uses a great deal of poetic devices. Her use of repetition effectively displays her emotions, as the subject matter is especially relatable and relevant to the high school demographic. Mixing alliteration (“typical Tuesday,” “short skirts,” “high heels”) with a masterfully sophisticated rhyme scheme, Swift catches the ear of the young listener with a poetic and realistic song. Drake’s song “Forever” portrays the stereotypical measure of success while using rhetoric. He brags about his wealth, metaphorically stating that he is “swimming in the money.” Also, he alludes to Malcolm X while referring to his skill and reputation as a rap artist: “Labels want my name beside the X like Malcolm/ Everybody got a deal, I did it without one.” Featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem, the song contains a diverse style of rhyming. In one line, Lil Wayne combines a metaphor with assonance, saying, “My mind shines even when my thoughts seem dark.” The song “Forever” uses a wide range of poeticism to convey the theme of success.
Taking a step back, these songs illustrate that our society has turned away from slower paces to quicker beats and faster rhymes. It seems that a song’s ability to be danced to or song along with is the determining factor in its popularity, and, though many acclaimed albums are socially relevant and topical, the message of a song no longer appeals to the majority of Americans. Even if a song does have a traditional theme, as in Swift’s depiction of classic young love, there must be a minimum standard of modern musicality to it. Even if a song is about nothing in particular, it could still be a success if it can compete with the other up-tempo on the charts. Though music is now far more readily accessible than it was twenty, or even ten years ago, I believe that my generation consumes music media so much more than any other because music has become so ingrained in our cultural psyche. Hearing music on a daily basis is unavoidable, and since there is so very much music out there, at such handy and affordable outlets, that any given person would have absolutely no trouble finding something he/she likes.
Gender roles are one negative aspect of modern music. In many popular rap and hip-hop songs, women, especially young women, are made out to be subservient to men. Depicted frequently as prostitutes or the like, women are exploited for their sexuality, while men are glorified for these sexual conquests. This concept leads directly into the idea of being “successful” as shown in modern music. Many songs hint at, or even frankly state, that to have more women is to be a more accomplished person. Also, one must be affluent and well-known to have achieved anything in life. These inclinations are completely untrue and should not be perpetuated by the music industries. Although popular music has very much to offer the world, it should be cautious when exercising its powerful influence, especially in regard to the youth of the world.
Songs:
She Wolf – Shakira *(17)
You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift *(7)
Evacuate The Dancefloor – Cascada *(42)
*Rank on Billboard Top 100
All of these modern day hits focus on the idea of “girl-power” and love. Shakira’s “She Wolf” is about a hidden “bad girl” side of all girls. The “she wolf” is a metaphor for this. Another metaphor in the song is “the moon’s my teacher and I’m her student”. The point of view, along with the Taylor Swift and Cascada’s songs, is first person. Modern day music seems to be more about telling the singer’s personal story rather than telling a narrative. This shows that our generation may be very “self” focused.
Another theme of today’s music is love, as shown in the Taylor Swift song. Our generation seems to be focused on the idea of idealistic and “true” love. In the Swift song, Taylor dreams about being with the boy next door, and in the end her dream comes true. As consumers of the music industry, our generation often chooses country and pop genres that focus on happy and loving ideals.
In today’s modern music industry, success is usually measured by the number of awards you win and the position your songs hold on the United States charts. This is different than how classic musicians weren’t acknowledged for their success for years after their music was released.
-Carolyn H
In today’s world music is a major part of everybody’s lives. Many people listen to music for entertainment, inspiration, relaxation and many other reasons. Some of the top songs today are I Gotta’ Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas, Down by Jay Sean, and Knock You Down by Keri Hilson. These songs all have one thing in common; they are some of the most popular songs today.
The song I Gotta’ Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas is a song about going out and having a good time. The most common line from this song is “I gotta’ feeling, that tonight’s gonna be a good night” this line describes the whole theme of the song. It shows that sometimes people need to let loose and blow off steam. These times can be very stressful and this song gives people the reassurance them that things are going to get better.
The song Knock you Down by Keri Hilson is about love and how it can be great one moment and in an instant it can turn your world upside down. The line;
“Say you gotta put the good with the bad, happy and the sad
So will u bring a better future than I had in the past
Oh Cause, I don't wanna make the same mistakes I did
I don't wanna fall back on my face again
Whoa, whoa, I'll admit it, I was scared to answer love's call
Whoa, whoa, and if it hits better make it worth the fall
(When it comes around)”
Gives us some imagery to how the speaker is feeling. Many people can relate to this song because there is always something going on that has to do with romance or love weather it is on television or in magazines. This is a popular subject in today’s world and this song gives good insight into the mind of today’s youth.
The song One Less Lonely Girl by Justin Bieber is about helping to heal a broken heart. In the song the line; “I'm gonna put you first, I'll show you worth” shows how much the speaker cares about the girl in the song. It is another common theme in today’s world. Many other songs deal with similar situations and they too are very popular.
These three songs and the other top songs of today say a lot about our culture today. They also say a lot about my generation because we are the greatest consumers of music media. The songs we listen to says that our culture is focused around love and romance and finding that special someone. We are also focused on having a good time in order to relieve stress and get away from the troubles of the day. As the greatest consumers of music media my generation seems to enjoy hearing about other people’s lives and what they are doing with their lives.
-Lindsay G
I picked the songs "Forever" by Drake, "Throw It In The Bag" by Fabolous, and "Best I Ever Had" by Drake. Each of these songs is in the top twenty one songs on the Billboard charts. I am unfamiliar will all of them, for the most part. I do notice a common theme throughout each; all of them are very sexual and full of profanity. Now this may be the case because of the genre that they all belong in; Rap/Hip Hop. The Rap genre has become well known for its use of profanity, sexual references, and violent language. All three of these songs fit perfectly into that stereotype. Each song is a representation of the faults within our American society and my generation. The song "Best I Ever Had" focuses sole on sex. The sexual references are very crude. Almost all of the lyrics in each song would be too inapropriate to quote here. The one dimensional aspect of these songs saddens me. To older generations and other countries, these songs must appear quite vulgar. Other people must see us as being a sex crazed generation and society that obsesses over materialistic items and ideals. In my opinion, these songs and their lyrics are a very bad representation of American society and my generation.
-Caroline Alm
Reflections on Billboard
The first song I chose to reflect on on the Billboard top 100 is "Down" by Jay Sean and featuring Lil Wayne. This song is featured as number One on the chart. The beginning of the song indicates that the song is written in first point of view perspective with the lyrics "Baby are you down?" The singer, Sean, is after the heart of a girl and wants her to go out with him for the night. The poetic device hyperbole is shown through the lines " So come on and fly with me as we make our great escape." Sean is exaggerating that he wants this girl to drop everything for the night and go out to be with him. He obviously does not literally mean he and she can fly away. A oxymoron is seen through Lil Wayne's lines "I'm a battlefield of love." When one thinks of a battlefield they think fighting, weapons, war, death etc and saying "battlefield of love" is two contrasting ideas that do not normally fit together. Also, Lil Wayne's lyrics " I'm down like the economy" is an example of a simile because he is comparing himself as being "down" for the night like the present economy is suffering today. This song, although containing a famous rapper, is more popish sounding and says a lot of modern American culture. The song is upbeat with lyrics that are repetitive and easy to follow along with. "Down" is definitely a song that is way over played on the radio and a song that people can sing while traveling in their car. Just saying that this song is number One, says that music consumers download, listen, and like this song. Like I said before, the song is upbeat and featuring the major hip hop/rap artist of this time Lil Wayne.
The second song I chose to reflect on is "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon. This song is featured as number Nine on the Billboard top 100. This song is written in first point of view perspective. The group expresses through their lyrics "You know that I could use somebody" that everyone in the world needs someone to love and care for. There is an example of assonance in the lines, " Countless lovers undercover of the street." Throughout the entire song, the band stresses that every single person has to be with someone in order to feel complete. This song has themes that have become very popular in modern American culture. The idea that one must find love to be happy is reoccurring in a lot of songs being written today. Success is measured by popularity and this band is becoming quite popular. Not only does America love this song, but many are hoping and many have seen them live in concert.
The last song I chose to reflect on is "You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift. This song is featured as number Seven on the Billboard top 100. The song is written in first point of view perspective and tells the narrative of Swift trying to get the attention of the boy she loves. There is an example of hyperbole in the lines " And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town." Swift is over emphasizing that this boy has an amazing smile that is so white it could light up her entire town. Throughout the entire song, Swift repeats over and over again that this boy belongs with her over the snobby, high maitenence, and popular girl. This generation loves popish sounding songs involving teenage romance. Many of Swift's songs are about this topic, and that is why she is so popular and successful in the music business. Many kids want to be able to relate to a song to listen to over and over again and her songs are just that.
On the billboard top 100 chart, “Throw It In the Bag” by Fabolous and The-Dream is ranked at number nineteen. The content of the song is based mainly on the idea of money. The two singers/rappers sing about the idea of no limits on money. They buy what they want when they want regardless of price. In a way the rappers are showing signs of haughtiness, by saying price tags are not for them, “I’m the one with them ones/ F*** the price tag, just throw it in the bag”, money sets no limitations for the two rappers, because of the amount that they make. The fact that this song is ranked at number nineteen shows that America is materialistic. We favor songs that talk about nice clothes, cars, and houses even though many people do not have that particular lifestyle, “I keep her in Louboutin, Louis Vuitton/Gucci down to her feet, yup, just like me”. Gucci and Louie Vuitton are extremely expensive brands; dressing in the clothes is a way of showing materialism by needing the top of the line clothing. In this song the gender role plays an important part. The rappers sing about how they earn the money, and how they spend it on the women. It shows that they go along with the theory of men being the provider of the household. In this particular song success is not measured by how many record one sells, but by the amount of money that they make singing. The song is written in first person, it is a story of how the narrator spends money on unnecessary items, to flaunt that he has money.
The second song that I choose is also on the billboard top one hundred songs. “Good Girls Go Bad” by Cobra Starship and Leighton Meester made it’s was to number twenty-two on the charts. The song is a stereotype of rich girls who fall for the bad guy “I know your type/You’re daddy’s little girl”. There are two singers, a boy and a girl, who each give their opinion of the night and each other. The song is sung in first person, by both of the people. In one of the lines Cobra Starship uses the alliteration to show that he can make any girl like him not matter the type of girl, “She was so shy”. The girl was so shy but he is going to make her become a bad girl by the end of the night. In this song as well as “Throw it in the Bag” gender plays a big role. The song is sung mostly by Cobra Starship, a male, who believes that since he is a considered a bad boy he can get any girl. The idea that America has voted this song number twenty-two shows that as a population, we enjoy songs that tell a story. The song tells the story about a shy girl who plays by the rules. She is sitting with her friends, when this troublesome guy walks up to her and makes her bad for the night.
“Already Gone” by Kelly Clarkson has made its way to number twenty-three on the billboard top one hundred songs. The song is about a relationship that went bad. Everything in the relationship seemed well, but it was not working out for one person. Kelly Clarkson loves the man she was with, she loves him enough to give him away, “Looking at you makes it harder/But I know that you’ll find another/That doesn’t always make you want to cry”. This song shows that America enjoys listening to songs about love and hardships. The gender of Kelly Clarkson plays a somewhat important role in the song. Because Kelly Clarkson is a woman it shows that women are just as likely to make hard decisions in their lives as well as men. Women are just as likely to end a relationship if they feel as if there is a disconnection between their partner and themselves. The repletion of the line “already gone” is used to show that nothing can change her mind. She is already out of the relationship and nothing is going to bring her back into a relationship that will not work out.
I think the Billboard top 50 albums of 2008 shows the diversity of america. The artists and albums vary from Lil Wayne to Bob Dylan. From Vamoire weekend to Metalica. I think it's impressive at the diversity. It shows that not everyone likes the same artists and types of bands. Some bands that are on the list like, The Knux, Girl Talk, and Ra Ra Riot, i've never heard of and i'm sure many americans haven't as well.
“Down” by Jay Sean may be the number one song in America today because it is a song that a lot of people can relate to. The song talks about getting away from all of the problems in life and just leaving it all behind. This says that American teen society feels too overwhelmed with all of the pressure being thrust upon them to do good in school, go on to college, grow up too fast, and just all of the problems in life that they need to deal with everyday along with just about a million other things. It also shows how teens just want to have fun and not worry about all of the demands that the world is thrusting upon them. The song also includes a successful love story. Love is something that American teenagers are experiencing for the first time, and it often seems very complicated; this song relates to those feelings and confusion and gives the impression that everything will work out in the end.
"Watcha Say" by Jason DeRulo is a song about how a man messed up a good relationship by cheating on his girlfriend. He is trying to get her back by appologizing for all that he did and saying that soon he'll "become a star...be livin so large" that he'll do anything for her. This line really digs at the materialism present in today's society. A lot of teens nowadays are experiencing difficulty with relationships and can relate to this aspect of the song.
On blog, doesn't fit in post
-Mike Costa
When I say i couldn't of have picked two worse song, the other not so bad. One song I picked was this song called "Drop it low" by ester jean. This song has literally no poetic elements except for alliteration, because she pretty much repeats the same line over and over again and it's such an annoying song I can't stand it.The other song I picked was this song called "Wasted" by Gucci Mane. It wasn't a bad song to listen to, but the main focus of the song was in fact getting drunk, partying, and being drunk. Not very significant rhyme scheme but there is some. So the song pretty much focuses on that subject and it's a song i don't mind, but poetically it is a very bad song. However the song "Cowboy Casanova" by Carrie Underwood has a decent amount of poetic elements in it. There is a simile in the second line where she says "The boy's like a disease." Then a little ways down two more simile appear where she says "He's like a curse, he's like drug" all comparing this "Cowboy Casanova". Then there is a metaphor and a simile in the chorus where she says "He looks like a cool drink of water, but he's Candy-coated misery." This is pretty impressive to me. Another metaphor in the chorus where she says "He's the devil in disguise." There's nothing really else but a cliche in the following lines, where she says "He'll tell you anything that you want to hear". I was impressed with this song and i am not normally a country musical person, but I actually like this song. Listen to this song and you will see all this and ,Maybe more that I couldn't spot. =)
"Fireflies"-Owl City
This particular song was number 11 on the billboard top 100. The bands type of music is techno. This song being so high on the chart shows that people in the U.S are getting into techno more. Also this shows more and more techno bands are getting recognized.
"I Will Not Bow"-Breaking Benjamin
This song was number 77 on the billboard top 100. The bands music is considered as alternative rock or post grunge music. This song mostly shows that breaking benjamin is starting to come back to the top of music.
"Break"-Three Days Grace
This song was number 86 on the billboard top 100. The bands music is rock, and heavy rock. This is the first track off their new album. So it shows that the other songs will most likely be joinging this song on the billboard.
Culture in Popular Music
Music is a very important part of everybody’s lives. People listen to music every day for many reasons. Some people listen to music simply for entertainment, others listen to music for emotional feelings, and some people listen to music for the enjoyment of poetry in songs. No matter what the reason is, people listen to music every day and it is a great aspect of every day life. People of all ages have been inspired and entertained by music for decades, even centuries. Music has been changing over time and different styles have been born. There have been many styles of music and popular themes particular to certain time periods over the years. Just as this is true, today’s music is unique to modern day culture, as classic songs are unique to their time periods, such as the 70s for example. In today’s music, the reoccurring themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships are very noticeable. These themes are demonstrated in the songs, "You Belong With Me," "I Gotta Feeling," and "Down" by Taylor Swift, the Black Eyed Peas, and Jay Sean.
"You Belong With Me," "I Gotta Feeling," and "Down" are a few of many songs that have the themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships. Taylor Swift’s "You Belong With Me" is a great example of the theme of missing love. This is a song about a normal, plain girl who has a crush on a popular boy who is taken by a popular girl who treats him badly. Taylor shows this social difference with lines such as "She wears high heels, I wear sneakers/She’s cheer captain and I’m on the Bleachers." This line is supposed to show that the boy’s girlfriend is a stylish cheerleader, while the other girl is a plain, boring girl that isn’t anymore special than anyone else in a crowd. As the title implies, the boy should be with the unpopular girl instead of the popular one and because he’s not, there is a missed opportunity for love. Taylor Swift tries to make this mistake clear with such lines as "She’s going off about something that you said/ ‘Cause she doesn’t get your humor like I do," "I’m listening to the kind of music she doesn’t like/And she’ll never know your story like I do," and the chorus, "If you could see that I’m the one who understands you/Been here all along so why can’t you see?/You Belong With Me." All of these lines indicate that this unpopular girl knows and understands the boy better than the other girl and is clearly the right girl for him.
The Black Eyed Peas’ "I Gotta Feeling" is perfect to represent the theme of good, fun nights in modern music. This song is very straight forward and is all about having a good night. Every line in the song contributes more to encouraging having a good night of partying. The first stanza indicates this and introduces the idea, and every line afterwards supports the same idea: "Tonight’s the night, let’s live it up/I got my money, let’s spend it up/Go out and smash it like Oh my God/Jump off that sofa, let’s get, get off." This stanza also shows a little of how people speak these days with the line, "...like Oh my God." This is significant because today people, especially teenagers, say like in almost every sentence that they speak, and everyone says "Oh my God" almost every time they express emotion. Relating to the theme of the song, no line in any song expresses having a good night better than the very repetitive chorus of "I Gotta Feeling": "I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night/that tonight’s gonna be a good night/that tonight’s gonna be a good, good night." This chorus is very basic and simply talks about having a good night, which is the theme of many modern day songs.
Jay Sean’s "Down" is a good example of a song that supports the themes of good nights, and relationships. Jay references good nights with the line "You oughta know, tonight is the night to let it go/Put on a show, I wanna see how you lose control." This shows the theme of good nights, which is prevalent in many songs, and if it is not the main idea, then it is at least referenced usually. However, "Down" mainly demonstrates the theme of relationships, as the song is about a guy making a commitment and promise to be with a girl forever no matter what. The line that best depicts this is "So baby don’t worry, you are my only/you won’t be lonely, even if the sky is falling down." In this line, the singer is saying that he will be faithful and love this girl no matter what, "even if the sky is falling down" and everything is going to end. This idea of love and relationship is the main theme of this song, and it is the main theme of many other modern day songs.
These three songs support the themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships very well. They are just a few of many songs that share these same themes and ideas, which are clearly very popular in modern day music. Music expresses a lot about culture, and these themes help show a lot about our culture. Because these themes are so popular in today’s music, and most of today’s music is purchased and listened to by young teenagers, it shows that modern day young teenagers like these ideas. Many young girls can relate to the idea of missing love or mistaken love, like the theme of Taylor Swift’s "You Belong With Me." A lot of people are emotionally moved by the idea of an unbreakable relationship like the theme of Jay Sean’s "Down", and mostly everybody that listens to modern music seems to like to party and have good nights, as the song "I Gotta Feeling" encourages. All in all, the themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships are popular themes in modern music and help express modern day culture.
Culture in Popular Music
Music is a very important part of everybody’s lives. People listen to music every day for many reasons. Some people listen to music simply for entertainment, others listen to music for emotional feelings, and some people listen to music for the enjoyment of poetry in songs. No matter what the reason is, people listen to music every day and it is a great aspect of every day life. People of all ages have been inspired and entertained by music for decades, even centuries. Music has been changing over time and different styles have been born. There have been many styles of music and popular themes particular to certain time periods over the years. Just as this is true, today’s music is unique to modern day culture, as classic songs are unique to their time periods, such as the 70s for example. In today’s music, the reoccurring themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships are very noticeable. These themes are demonstrated in the songs, "You Belong With Me," "I Gotta Feeling," and "Down" by Taylor Swift, the Black Eyed Peas, and Jay Sean.
"You Belong With Me," "I Gotta Feeling," and "Down" are a few of many songs that have the themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships. Taylor Swift’s "You Belong With Me" is a great example of the theme of missing love. This is a song about a normal, plain girl who has a crush on a popular boy who is taken by a popular girl who treats him badly. Taylor shows this social difference with lines such as "She wears high heels, I wear sneakers/She’s cheer captain and I’m on the Bleachers." This line is supposed to show that the boy’s girlfriend is a stylish cheerleader, while the other girl is a plain, boring girl that isn’t anymore special than anyone else in a crowd. As the title implies, the boy should be with the unpopular girl instead of the popular one and because he’s not, there is a missed opportunity for love. Taylor Swift tries to make this mistake clear with such lines as "She’s going off about something that you said/ ‘Cause she doesn’t get your humor like I do," "I’m listening to the kind of music she doesn’t like/And she’ll never know your story like I do," and the chorus, "If you could see that I’m the one who understands you/Been here all along so why can’t you see?/You Belong With Me." All of these lines indicate that this unpopular girl knows and understands the boy better than the other girl and is clearly the right girl for him.
The Black Eyed Peas’ "I Gotta Feeling" is perfect to represent the theme of good, fun nights in modern music. This song is very straight forward and is all about having a good night. Every line in the song contributes more to encouraging having a good night of partying. The first stanza indicates this and introduces the idea, and every line afterwards supports the same idea: "Tonight’s the night, let’s live it up/I got my money, let’s spend it up/Go out and smash it like Oh my God/Jump off that sofa, let’s get, get off." This stanza also shows a little of how people speak these days with the line, "...like Oh my God." This is significant because today people, especially teenagers, say like in almost every sentence that they speak, and everyone says "Oh my God" almost every time they express emotion. Relating to the theme of the song, no line in any song expresses having a good night better than the very repetitive chorus of "I Gotta Feeling": "I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night/that tonight’s gonna be a good night/that tonight’s gonna be a good, good night." This chorus is very basic and simply talks about having a good night, which is the theme of many modern day songs.
Jay Sean’s "Down" is a good example of a song that supports the themes of good nights, and relationships. Jay references good nights with the line "You oughta know, tonight is the night to let it go/Put on a show, I wanna see how you lose control." This shows the theme of good nights, which is prevalent in many songs, and if it is not the main idea, then it is at least referenced usually. However, "Down" mainly demonstrates the theme of relationships, as the song is about a guy making a commitment and promise to be with a girl forever no matter what. The line that best depicts this is "So baby don’t worry, you are my only/you won’t be lonely, even if the sky is falling down." In this line, the singer is saying that he will be faithful and love this girl no matter what, "even if the sky is falling down" and everything is going to end. This idea of love and relationship is the main theme of this song, and it is the main theme of many other modern day songs.
These three songs support the themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships very well. They are just a few of many songs that share these same themes and ideas, which are clearly very popular in modern day music. Music expresses a lot about culture, and these themes help show a lot about our culture. Because these themes are so popular in today’s music, and most of today’s music is purchased and listened to by young teenagers, it shows that modern day young teenagers like these ideas. Many young girls can relate to the idea of missing love or mistaken love, like the theme of Taylor Swift’s "You Belong With Me." A lot of people are emotionally moved by the idea of an unbreakable relationship like the theme of Jay Sean’s "Down", and mostly everybody that listens to modern music seems to like to party and have good nights, as the song "I Gotta Feeling" encourages. All in all, the themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships are popular themes in modern music and help express modern day culture.
The top 100 songs on the Billboard Top 100 tells a lot about of society today. Four out of the ten have sexual references within those songs. This shows many things, one being that people in this society arn't afraid to boast or discuss sex. Back in the fifties this would never been okayed or allowed. So this shows the change in soceity and what people are interested in now. Also four out of ten are some sort of love song and since the teenage world mostly controls the top 100 this shows what people are interested in hearing, what they can relate to or something that they find interesting. The popular genere at this point in time would have to be pop because six out of the ten songs had the genre of pop. This shows that soceity likes to listen to upbeat music that could probably put them in a better mood.
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