Messages in Music

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Mixed Messages The music industry is one of the largest stages for individuals to convey messages. Some artists sell millions of records every year and are able to get a point across to their audience through their music. Unfortunately, the artists that sell the most records often are the ones who don’t use music for message sending, but solely as a source of income. On the other hand, there are a handful of talented artists out there who use music as a platform for good, by using their lyrics to send positive messages. Many musicians use the music industry as just as a place to make money, but there are always musicians that use their lyrics to tell stories, send messages, and better the music industry as a whole. Most mainstream music seems to be comprised of songs that sell many albums but have little lyrical significance. Their lyrics are full of empty sayings and rhymes that are catchy to the ear but mean nothing more than their surface value. For example, the artist One Direction, a popular boy band that has been in the public eye for the past few years, came out with a song called “Best Song Ever”. This song has lyrics like: And we danced all night to the best song ever We knew every line. Now I can’t remember. How it goes but I know that I won’t forget her Cause we dance all night to the best song ever (One Direction). This song literally is just a catchy tune about the best song ever. There is no purpose, meaning, or anything important in the lyrics that would make them even a little bit important. Somehow this meaningless song was number two on the Billboard Hot 100 as of July 31 2013. This means that “Best Song Ever”, a song with lyrics no more complex that its title, was the number two most popular so... ... middle of paper ... ...city lyrics are used to that people like a song with no deeper meaning or story behind it. Herd, Denise. "Changes In Drug Use Prevalence In Rap Music Songs, 1979-1997." Addiction Research & Theory 16.2 (2008): 167-180. Academic Search Elite. Web. 18 Oct. 2013. This source discuss the prevalence of drug use in modern music and all the subjects it shows up in. A quote from this essays is used in my paper to list a number of sources where drugs show up in modern music. It emphasizes how common drugs are becoming in the industry Salaam, Mtume ya. "The Aesthetics Of Rap." African American Review 29.2 (1995): 303. Academic Search Elite. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. Krohn, Franklin B., and Frances L. Suazo. "CONTEMPORARY URBAN MUSIC: Controversial Messages In Hip-Hop And Rap Lyrics." ETC: A Review Of General Semantics 52.2 (1995): 139-154. Academic Search Elite. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.

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