Wednesday, March 3, 2010

POS: Reflections of Popular Culture in Music



"As the music is, so are the people of the country."
-Turkish Proverb

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 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?

12 comments:

Suzanne said...

Culture is basically the way we run our life which can include all different beliefs. Considering today’s way of life, we would be lying if we didn’t admit that music doesn’t influence us. Songs may include things like racism, gender or being bias, world poverty and etc. Also this is hard because we have younger girls and boys listening to these songs because that is all that is being played, and they see these stars as role models or idols. When we say a certain type of music is popular, it means a large number of people are following that artist. One of the most important examples would have to be the popularity of violent and abusive rap songs among teenagers. The drug abuse and other unhealthy habits have a major role in kids’ lives today, whether it’s becoming violent and out of control. It is time to start thinking and analyzing what these songs and artists are dishing out to us.

Gender roles can have a positive and negative on music. There is one important category that is concerning several gender roles today, for example love songs. Women today are said to be emotional and open to express their feelings, and their way of doing this is writing it in their songs. But love and emotions can be preformed by men as well. Men are always taught to be strong and to never show their weaknesses. But sometimes they do appear in their songs as gentle, and sometimes showing how depended they are on woman. Both men and woman impact the making of a song.


In our generation today songs are based upon bad gestures like sex, love, drugs, and money just to name a few. In my opinion rarely does a song make it to radio if it is about anything deep, this is excluding country music. Artists today typically do not even write concerning the issues of our country. I believe that based on our songs today it is possible to conclude that we are now more concerned with our own personal relationships and dealings in life than we are with the bigger picture. This is not necessarily a negative thought because if people can be loving and peaceful in their own small world there is hope for the whole. For example a number 3 hit, by Lady Antebellum “I Need You Now.” This song may affect teenagers’ in a better aspect than others, although this is showing how girls and boys are reliant on one another when it comes to being in a relationship. A negative song may be “How Low” by Ludacris. This song is not appropriate for young kids to be listening too. This is a bad influence because sexually he is telling her to drop it down low. Boys and girls hearing this are going to be influenced by the wrong type of music. They will think that it is okay to have sexual intercourse at such a young age, and within this generation there is so much of that we don’t need music telling them it's okay. Also, the song by Timbaland “Carry Out,” is a bad influence to our society. This song is disrespectful to several girls out in the world. He is singing about girls bodies that are like a carry out and how he would do all these different things to them in bed. I babysit a girl that is in the fifth grade and she listens to this song. By the age of 12 she will understand what he is talking about. This is a bad influence because it is disrespectful to talk or look at a girl the way that Timbaland is describing. Lastly, the song “Baby” by Justin Bieber as influence several as well. In his chorus there is a man saying how he had his first love at the age of 13. Boys and girls at the age of 13 have no idea what love is, and it is not okay for them to be in “love” so young because it will lead into other things. Several boys and girls see Justin Bieber as a role model because he is so young and a great singer. Surprisingly listening to his music they are influence by the lyrics that he sings. But if Justin wasn’t singing like that then he would not be on the charts of 100 top songs.

Kristen Tenglin said...

In today’s culture, music has an incredible impact on people’s lives. The lives that are especially impacted by the popular music of today are the lives of the younger generation. The violence and bad influences in the popular music of today are reflective in the decisions of the younger generation. Success is a trendy subject in popular music as well as gender roles. In order to fully understand the decisions of the youth of today and how these decisions are influenced by popular music, one must first comprehend and analyze the music.

Ranking number five on the Billboards top 100 list, “Imma Be” by the Black Eyed Peas greatly reflects the culture of our society. According to the song, a women’s success is mirrored in her look and a man’s opinion of her. Similarly, the success of a man is reflected in his popularity and the amount of money that he has. “Imma be rich baby, quick” (Black Eyed Peas). Besides the roles of gender in our society today, money is sought after, and the amount of money that one has determines their status in our society. “Imma be worldwide international, Imma be in Rio, rockin' Tokyo” (Black Eyed Peas). Songs with messages similar to this influence the younger generation of today by making them strive to be rich and beautiful, which also makes them successful.

“Bedrock” by Young Money is currently ranked number three on the Billboard chart. In this song, gender plays a distinct role which is obviously visible in today’s culture. After analyzing the lyrics and listening to the song, one can conclude that the writer viewed the woman that he describes as an object. In the song, the writer based his information about the woman solely on her appearance. “I'm Attracted To Her, For Her Attractive A*s” (Young Money). In today’s culture, women are often dehumanized. This dehumanization is reflected in the youth of today through their actions, especially those that can be viewed as disrespectful. The impolite manners of the younger generation can be thought of as direct connections to the disrespect which is evident in the majority of the popular music of today.

At number thirteen on the Billboard top 100 list, “Blah Blah Blah” by Kesha, can be thought to influence the younger generation of today. Insincerity is ever present in this song, and has also become more popular and “hip” in youth and society as a whole. Throughout the song, Kesha describes what she hears when the boy that she met is talking. “Stop talk, talk, talking that blah, blah, blah” (Kesha). In today’s society, many adults will agree that many of the youth of today are insincere and inconsiderate. When listening to many of the popular music of today, including this song, one is able to understand the reasoning of the adults.

Ariel said...

Songs like Bad Romance By Lady Gaga and other music that is about sexuality and relationships is what are culture mainly listens to these days. Young girls and boys are learning everyday about sex and relationships due to the music played on the radio. This music is a bad influence and is showing what the world has come down to these days. Also, songs about drugs, drinking and partying are played numerous times throughout the day on the radio. Songs like Tik Tok By Kesha and Telephone By Lady Gaga and Beyonce talk about how partying is fun and the cool thing to do. This shows kids and our culture that, that is life to have. That life is fun and if you want to be like the rockstars, moviestars, and popstars that is what you should do.

Ariel Monat

David A. said...

The song “On To The Next One” by Jay-Z featuring Swizz Beatz ranked number thirty-seven on the charts. This is a typical rap song about making a lot of money and becoming famous. The song lacks poetic devices and just uses very simple devices like alliteration, “Can’t be scared to fail, searchin’ perfection”, and this was one of the very few examples which could be found within the song. Other than lack of poetic devices, the song basically repeats the same thing over and over but he just uses different words each time. Jay-Z is just constantly talking about how he is making money and doing whatever he wants. However, the song does contain a very catchy beat and is fun to listen to which makes it more likely to appear in someone’s list of favorite songs.

As a whole, two of these songs basically say that America is all about love, money, becoming famous, and doing whatever you want; just the same as every other song that is on the radio these days. However, the song “Live Like We’re Dying” has a greater message which was surprising to see on the charts. These songs represent our generation as boisterous and “party-animals” who only care about money, love, and “making it big.” The type of music which is mainly on the charts shows that as a whole, we are more into faster more up-beat songs. Gender roles also play a major role in music, mainly in rap and hip-hop music. Typically, females are usually brought up more in music than males are. They are made out to seem as if they are lesser than equal to males and are treated disrespectfully within lyrics of many rap and hip-hop songs. The stated qualities; love, money, becoming successful, and having a quick tempo; generally lead to more success for artists. It is very rare for a song possessing these qualities to be found on the charts these days. These qualities should not be what gets a song onto the charts; the reason a song should be on the charts is because it possesses so many qualities like that of Kris Allen’s song. Songs today should possess more diverse poetic devices and have bigger messages unlike so many songs that are listened to by our generation today, and more songs like that should make it to the charts.

David A. said...

Music is an art form that everyone around the world enjoys. However, the type of music that everyone is into varies from region to region. In the United States, the songs that are most popular are ranked on the charts. These ranking are based upon which songs have the greatest airplay and sales gain per week. The most popular and listened to songs are majorly different than they fifty or even just a few years ago. For the most part, all of the songs deal with the same themes that have been in songs across the years but, they are expressed in a totally different way.

Train’s newest hit, “Hey, Soul Sister” is a majorly popular song in the United States ranking at number six on the charts. This song is sung from the perspective of a first-person narrative mode by using the word “I”. In this song, the focal character is explaining how in love he is with a woman and he cannot get her out of his mind. Many poetic devices are used within the song as well from simple devices like alliteration; “Hey soul sister” which draws the listener in, to other devices such as metaphors; “Like a virgin, you’re Madonna.” However, the song does not get very complex with the use of poetic devices. It is a typical song that you would expect to hear on the radio and deals with the theme of love much like many other songs that are very popular. “Hey, Soul Sister” is a euphony and is pleasing to listen to and is overall a very mellow, happy song.

Kris Allen, former American Idol contestant, had his first single, “Live Like We’re Dying” which reached number eighteen on the charts. This song has a very powerful message which everyone should live by, the message is to make the most of your life and live each day as if it were your last. A variety of poetic elements are used throughout the song. Kris Allen uses simple devices like alliteration, “Gotta live like we’re dying” to more sophisticated uses of poetic devices with personification; “We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to turn it all around or to throw it all away” which expresses throwing time away and makes it seem as though it is an actual object. “Live Like We’re Dying” is one of a very few songs that actually has a good meaning that is very popular in today’s day and age.

Unknown said...

The most strikingly obvious theme in today’s music is love, but instead of emotional love, only superficial or physical love is portrayed in what is found on Billboard’s top music charts including songs Say Ahh by Trey Songz, Break Your Heart by Taio Cruz and In My Head by Jason Derulo. Each sung by male artists, the lyrics promote a sense of dominance and assertiveness over women that mock our sense of self and pride. Above all else, women are seen solely as symbols for sex and pleasure where they are used and then thrown aside. These songs are not about love at all, but they do represent this generation’s confusion of actual love with sex and pleasure.

The women in these song lyrics all remain nameless and lack any character development, yet the derogatory portrayal of these women prove to influence a story behind each song. In Trey Songz’s Say Ahh, a woman is being coerced to drink, “Since we in the club for now/ Might as well get another round/ Noticed aint nothin in ya cup/ So give it here baby let me fill it up.” The speaker remains assertive with this notion in hopes that, “we can move the party to the bedroom.” With the use of similes, the woman is met with a series of degrading comments such as, “Imma beat ya body like a congo.” The only reason for the speaker to give the woman enough to drink is his hope of a possible one night stand.

The notion of a one night stand proposes that women are dispensable. This seems to be a theme of Break Your Heart by Taio Cruz who tries to make his actions excusable by stating, “If you fall for me/ I’m not easy to please/ I’mma tear you apart.” Using the hyperbole, “I’mma tear you apart,” insinuates that despite any efforts by a woman to please him, he will only shut them down. It seems that after the speaker states, “I don’t wanna deceive you,” there should be the extension, “but I’m going to,” tacked to the end. A misleading speaker is also apparent in Jason DeRulo’s In My Head whose thoughts are more scandalous than his actions. He states from the beginning, “Everybody’s looking for love. Oh. Oh. / Ain’t that the reason you’re at this club.” This reinforces the idea that love is depicted purely as superficial because it is a fallacy to believe that two people can fall in love after the moment they meet. Though they have never met before, the only thoughts running through his head is a fantasy where the use of onomatopoeia constructs vivid imagery, “In my head, you fulfill my fantasy. / You’ll be screaming noooo / In my head, it’s going down.” He then asserts his desires on the woman passive-aggressively with the words, “Just leave with me now. Say the word and we’ll go.” The suggestion of a one night stand is again introduced with those words and is blatantly offensive to all women.

In reflection of this generation, these songs truly reflect our concept of love. Though the songs depict woman as subordinates to men, the stronger message indicates that this generation has become increasingly more promiscuous. Subtle in all three songs, each man calls a woman, “baby,” though they are not even acquaintances. This mocks a woman’s pride and self-respect never mind suggests a future licentious encounter. This generation needs to move away from this kind of casual company and adopt stronger morals towards sexuality and women.

Kristina, Alex, Val, Jamie said...

Throughout each generation music seems to greatly influence us and the way we live. Everyone listens to different genres of music and is affected by the music in a positive way and in a negative way. Sadly music now has turned into mostly about sex, alcohol, drugs, and partying. The bad thing about this is that the good songs with life lessons and meanings are not being expressed and shown throughout the world. Also, young teenagers are listening to this sexual music and are expecting these artists to be their role models.
The first song that I chose was number one on the top 100. The song is called “Break your heart” by Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris. I believe that this song is number one because of the beat and artists. Many people like Ludacris and enjoy his music. Also, this song is very entertaining and can be played on radios. Another reason why I believe this song is popular because of the storyline of the song. Many songs are bout relationships and a lot of people can relate to songs that have to do with relationships. This song says about our culture that more people are interested in songs that have to do with their social life. Also, a lot of people are beginning to like rap and hip hop in America. This song says about our generation that more and more artists are coming out with “random” songs or songs that have to do with sex or relationships and our generation is enjoying it. Each generation listens to less intelligent music as the years go on. Also, a lot of male artist seem to “talk down” about girls and put them down. Many men believe that they are more powerful than women. Songs like these are what influence them to believe that. Success is measured by the amount of people who listen to your music. Personally I do enjoy this song but that is because I don’t actually listen to the lyrics I like the beat. After looking at the lyrics I realized they were disrespectful towards women. Most of the music these days are.
The next song that I chose is called “Live like you were dying” by Kris Allen. This is a more positive messaged song but is also very popular too. The message in this song is to live your life as if you weren’t going to have another day to live. Many people like this song because it influences them to be happy and positive each day. This says about America that people have come to realize not to take life for granted and to enjoy what they have. This song does not discriminate against men or women. Kris Allen is trying to prove to everyone to appreciate the things in life because one day everything could be gone.
The third song that I chose is called “Bedrock” by Young Money featuring Lloyd. This song is number three out of 100. This song is a negative influence on young teenagers and teens. Many people like this song because of the beat and because of the artists but it is a bad influence because it is referring to sex and partying. This song is sending the wrong message to teens. It also has lyrics where women are being put down and men are having more dominance. This song being number 3 shows that America and this generation have changed a lot. It shows that people are more interested in sex, drugs, etc and are being negatively influenced by these artists and songs.

Kristina, Alex, Val, Jamie said...

Throughout each generation music seems to greatly influence us and the way we live. Everyone listens to different genres of music and is affected by the music in a positive way and in a negative way. Sadly music now has turned into mostly about sex, alcohol, drugs, and partying. The bad thing about this is that the good songs with life lessons and meanings are not being expressed and shown throughout the world. Also, young teenagers are listening to this sexual music and are expecting these artists to be their role models.
The first song that I chose was number one on the top 100. The song is called “Break your heart” by Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris. I believe that this song is number one because of the beat and artists. Many people like Ludacris and enjoy his music. Also, this song is very entertaining and can be played on radios. Another reason why I believe this song is popular because of the storyline of the song. Many songs are bout relationships and a lot of people can relate to songs that have to do with relationships. This song says about our culture that more people are interested in songs that have to do with their social life. Also, a lot of people are beginning to like rap and hip hop in America. This song says about our generation that more and more artists are coming out with “random” songs or songs that have to do with sex or relationships and our generation is enjoying it. Each generation listens to less intelligent music as the years go on. Also, a lot of male artist seem to “talk down” about girls and put them down. Many men believe that they are more powerful than women. Songs like these are what influence them to believe that. Success is measured by the amount of people who listen to your music. Personally I do enjoy this song but that is because I don’t actually listen to the lyrics I like the beat. After looking at the lyrics I realized they were disrespectful towards women. Most of the music these days are.
The next song that I chose is called “Live like you were dying” by Kris Allen. This is a more positive messaged song but is also very popular too. The message in this song is to live your life as if you weren’t going to have another day to live. Many people like this song because it influences them to be happy and positive each day. This says about America that people have come to realize not to take life for granted and to enjoy what they have. This song does not discriminate against men or women. Kris Allen is trying to prove to everyone to appreciate the things in life because one day everything could be gone.
The third song that I chose is called “Bedrock” by Young Money featuring Lloyd. This song is number three out of 100. This song is a negative influence on young teenagers and teens. Many people like this song because of the beat and because of the artists but it is a bad influence because it is referring to sex and partying. This song is sending the wrong message to teens. It also has lyrics where women are being put down and men are having more dominance. This song being number 3 shows that America and this generation have changed a lot. It shows that people are more interested in sex, drugs, etc and are being negatively influenced by these artists and songs.

The Road of Lost Innocence said...

As we look at the world today and compare it to what the world used to be, it is so different. When you think about it the music is completely different as well. Music that was listened to in the 50s and 60s often would tell a story about things that made you happy, but in today’s world the chance of getting a song that is just about happiness may be hard to find. Most of the songs that are listened to today are about drugs, anger, heartbreak, and just life troubles in general, as shown in the top 100 songs of this year anger and heartbreak is brought out in many of them.

Need You Know, by Lady Antebellum is pretty self explanatory, it shows the great need that the song writer has for a particular person. It explains how much this person is missed everyday. This whole song clarifies that people in this world need someone to really get through their day. Some people may disagree with that but when you really think what life would be like if you didn’t have that one friend there, or even your family if that is the closes you get to a friend. “And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now “this part of the song shows that the writer is going to great depths to just try and get this person off of their mind but it still isn’t working.

According To You, by Orianthi is a song about judgment. A whole part of this world includes judgment for some reason people think it’s something that needs to be involved in this world. It shows how one point of view puts the song writer in a negative and uncomfortable position when the other point of view shows a loving side that is willing to say anything that comes to his mind. This song shows that people in this world deserve to feel good and have to think about what they are going to say before they say it. A lot of the people in this world don’t think about consequences which in my eyes isn’t a good way to live life.

Break even, by The Script it a perfect example of heartbreak. It talks about how when a heart breaks it doesn’t break even. It talks about when you loose your love you fall to pieces. The song writer explains the loss that he has had has been very hard for him. “I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing” this part shows that he is so in love that he is loosing his life because he is so in love. A lot of the time especially younger people feel like love is their only option, they need that there or they feel empty. Some people are just not meant to have that one person but in the end that is OK as long as they are OK with that.

As we go through life we need to think about what is really important and not think about all the negative things that happen each and everyday. So maybe we should start by really looking at what influences us, like the music this generation listens too. Much of the music is not happy, it brings you done. Music should be something fun to listen to, something that should distract you from the troubles of the outside world, not something that you plug in just to dig you deeper and deeper into the pian of this world.

Anonymous said...

Music is an important part of life. Even people who don’t have a love for music cannot deny that it plays a role in their lives. For centuries, music has been intertwined with the development of people and their cultures. In America, our modern music has changed from past decades. When looking at a list of the most popular songs of right now, one might notice a few reoccurring aspects of this music. All of the songs show some kind of reflection of our modern American culture.

Many of these popular songs deal with the same subjects: love, partying, sex, and success. Songs such as “Imma Be” by the Black Eyed Peas glorify a life with money, parties, and sexual conquests. This song has very few poetic devices. The most sophisticated use of a poetic device is simple alliteration such as, “I'm a be world wide international”. Other top rated songs like “Tik Tok” by Ke$hia and “Down” by Jay Saun follow the same pattern. Although all of these songs lack a deeper meaning, they do have an upbeat tempo that is pleasing to listen to. This is why they are top hits.

Another very common theme in popular music is love and heartbreak. “Breakeven” by The Script depicts a love and loss story that is relatable to all ages. It tells of an unfair breakup that left the guy miserable while the girl found happiness. Along with having a more sophisticated topic than the common party songs, it has better examples of poetic devices. “Breakeven” has several metaphors that help develop the emotions of the song such as, “I'm falling to pieces,” and, “'Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven.”

Amidst the more typical themes of today’s top rated songs, there are songs that have different messages. An example of this is Kris Allen’s single “Live Like We’re Dying”. This song asks the listener that if their life ended now, would they be happy with what it was? Using several metaphors, Allen goes on to sing that, “We're hiding behind skin that's too tough,” and that we need to live to our full potential. Its happy sound along with its inspirational message show a more hopeful and life-fulfilling feeling many people share.

After listening to our many top hits, it is evident how diverse and dynamic our culture is. People value things in a wide range, from a materialistic stand points, to love and happiness, and even to living life to the fullest. Although a good amount of popular songs are about fame, success, and parties, this is because the music is targeted towards the younger part of the population. The young people of America are not looking for a deeper meaning in music; they are looking for something to make them happy and to have a good time. Songs like “Breakeven” and “Live Like We’re Dying”, however, show that we do still have serious values like finding love and happiness in our lives.

-Erica Callahan

Tbrown said...

We can easily say that culture and different beliefs people have are what separate our different groups today. We can also say that music is one of the top influences on different cultures. There are so many different genres of music that certain cultures listen too and other cultures do not listen too. Also depending on the type of genre it is, the music could not be that appropriate for some cultures. Today some songs include profanity, racist sayings, world poverty problems, drug abuse and also abusive stories. This is not very appropriate for younger kids and they are exposed to this type of music. Children could grow up wanting to be like the artists that are singing these songs, and this will produce another different culture as the kids grow older. People say that the music they listen too is just something to keep them busy and something that they like, but I think it affects the way people live their lives these days and especially the way kids act and the way they will be when they grow up.

On todays top 50 billboards list the 5th number ranked song “Imma Be” by the Black Eyed Peas, easily caught my eye as a very inspirational and striving song. “Imma be rich baby” is from the lyrics of the song. The Black Eyed Peas are trying to get the point across of to be a successful man or women you need to strive to be rich and always follow your dreams. Obviously these days the amount of money people make usually is because of their popularity rankings, and the song tries to say that people who are musical and make themselves popular will make a lot of money.

Gender also impacts the type of music that is being produced today. As a singer myself at first I find it very hard to try and connect with certain songs. There is a certain mood that the artist who wrote it has and it is hard to find that mood. Usually you won’t find songs like that as a guy because usually guys do not write about things that make them sad, but women who talk about breakups with their boyfriends I find the different emotions come out a lot more noticeable in women artists.
Also on Billboards Top 50 you will find Kris Allen’s “Live like we’re dying”. Make the most of your life and take nothing for granted, this is the message Kris tries to get across to everyone. After hearing this song it reminded me of a quote I live by which is “Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever”. A poetic device that is found in the song is personification which is found in “Live like we’re dying”. It is good to actually see songs out there during this generation that have a good message that pass through and I live my life just as it is said people should live theirs in this song.

“Whataya want from me” by Adam Lambert an American Idol contestant is found #25 on Billboards top 50 songs. He tells a story about when he let someone who he loved slip away from him, and he is trying to find out what he needs to do so he’ll always have that feeling for the rest of his life. “Whataya want from me” is cliché, because it is seen 17 times in the whole song.

Music has an amazing impact on people and cultures these days. It actually surprises me to hear some of the songs that are being produced and also even played on the radios. There are some songs on the radio and even in Billboards top 50 that are very inappropriate for people that are underage and they are exposed to them every day because they are played on the radio everyday. I think people need to write more songs having to do with dreams and what’s going on with world disasters these days.

Josh said...

In music today, and the decades before, have helped to shape and change everyone around us. Clothing, group of friends, hairstyles, etc. are all judge by what a person listens to, or what their favorite artist is like. People are shunned from a group of people if they don’t choose to like the same type of music, and even groups have formed that only listen to a certain type (I.E. “Head bangers”). This fascination with music has grown so much on people in the past decades and as the music industry has been changing, it affects the world as a whole. Specifically in the United States, the top ‘billboard’ artists don’t even have to be good at songwriting, or singing at that and just have to adhere to what people like, and how to make money off of it.
Today’s number one hit in the U.S. is “Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz. This song centers on the singer being a ‘heartbreaker’ and saying that he pretty much doesn’t care about women and he is “hard to please”. Poetic devices are hard to find in this song, but there are a couple deficiencies. “I’m only gonna break break your break break your heart” is repeated so many times in the song that it seems to take away from the rest of it. There are only about 5 short verses included in the repeated line of this song, and this is a prime example of how it doesn’t really matter how good at songwriting or singing a person is, it’s just how catchy the song is.
Number 10 comes in with “How Low” by Ludacris. This song shows a distinct pattern in the views of women in rap. The song is all centered on girls dancing and “dropping to the ground”. These lyrics aren’t quotable for school-purposes but having the song summarized in one line shows their songwriting flaws and the song as a whole having a very poor quality.
In the rap/hip-hop dominate charts, an actually artist pops out. At 19 is “Breakeven” by The Script. This is a song about the heartbreak of a man over a girl. The songwriting is above par but it still sticks out compared to all the others in the charts. “She finally met a man that's gonna put her first/While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping” shows the difference between the heartbroken man and the girl whose already found another guy. This song is a prime example of the ‘decent’ songwriting happening in today’s charts.
These songs don’t summarize even half of the billboards of today’s popular music. This just helps to understand what the standards are of the music industry today.