"You can buy your hair if it won't grow, you can fix your nose if he says so, you can buy all the make up that MAC can make, but if you can't look inside you, find out who am I to be in the position to make me feel so damn unpretty, I'll make you feel unpretty too" (TLC Unpretty).
This Chorus is that of a popular song performed by one of the most popular and influential Girl groups of all time, TLC. The packs a powerful message that TLC is trying to get across to their fans and listeners. The popular girl group trio, TLC that reigned in the 90's, during the beginning of the feminist/ Girl power movement. The group members were Tionne Watkins known as T-Boz, Lisa Lopes known as Left Eye, and Rozonda Thomas known as Chilli. The song Unpretty
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is still a well-known song today because of the message behind the lyrics. After listening to this song multiple times and watching the music video, it is very evident that TLC is trying to get a message across. The creditability, or ethos is established within TLC's popularity and success throughout their career. TLC first begin as a group in 1991, releasing albums from 1992 until present day. The group has always been activist for self-respect and self-worth. They made their views evident in various songs throughout their career. TLC has sold over 65 million records worldwide(Wikipedia).
The group has been nominated and won various awards for their accomplishments in the music industry. TLC has won Soul Train Awards, MOBA (Music of black Origin) Awards, NAACP Awards, Teen Choice Awards, Grammys, Kids Choice Awards, those are only to name a few(Wikipedia). According to The Philippine Daily inquirer "TLC is the most influential female group the world has ever seen". (Wikipedia). Vibe magazine also states that there would be no other all black female R& B group that would have the same commercial impact as TLC (Wikipedia). Their huge fan base was their platform to deliver messages about self -worth and empowerment. Even though TLC was very successful group, that did not make them immune to real life struggles. The group had many obstacles that were often made public. These public struggles got them more attention because they seemed to share the same issues as their fans which made them more relatable. From illness, bankruptcy, to relationship issues, arrests and rehab. The Group was far from perfect, but they were relatable. Being relatable allowed them the opportunity to be able to reach their fans and listeners on a personal …show more content…
level. The song Unpretty is on the groups third studio album, titled Fanmail. The album was mostly centered around controversial topics about sex and relationships. It can be considered, based on the album title that this album was directed to their fans. This album received eight Grammy nominations and the group won three of these Grammys. The song Unpretty spent three weeks on top of the Billboard top 100 charts (Wikipedia). The song Unpretty was originally a poem written by Group Member T-Boz. The poem was later transformed into a female empowering song(Wikipedia). The group established pathos within the lyrics of this song by appealing to the listeners emotions. In the beginning of the song singer T- Boz makes a statement, to who we can assume to be her boyfriend or to someone who is making her feel insecure, "I wish I could toe you up in my shoes, make you feel unpretty too". (TLC, Unpretty). In this statement she is expressing that her partner has contributed to her insecurities. Those very first words would grab the attention of someone who could relate being in a similar situation. Throughout the song the lyrics continue to establish ethos through emotional appeal by describing true-to-life situations. Bases on the lyrics of the song, the true-life situation relates to a unhealthy relationship. In the music video there is a scene where one of the group members, Chilli, is being coerced by, who seems to be her boyfriend, into getting a breast augmentation procedure. The scene shows him altering an outline of a women's body to make her breast larger. Chilli, on the other hand, changes the image back to normal while shaking her head in disagreement. Her boyfriend seems to continues to be persistent by constantly augmenting the image on the computer screen. Finally, Chilli agrees to do this procedure, but you can note by the look on her face that she is doubtful. This scene of the video directly relates to this portion of the lyrics which adds to the pathos appeals to this song, "My outside looks cool, my insides are blue, every time I think I'm though it because of you, I try different ways, but it's all the same, at the end of the day I have my self to blame, I'm just trippin" (TLC, unpretty). It can be concluded from these lyrics, that the singer is putting on show on the outside as if she feels good about herself, but in reality, on the inside she is insecure. It can be further analyzed that from those lyrics, the singer has these feelings of being insecure because of her partner, who is making her feel that she is not good enough appearance wise. Through this song TLC's goal is to reach their listeners on a personal level, in doing so the person on the receiving end of this message maybe more inclined to listen. Hearing a group as famous as TLC, that are advocates for self-love, talk about some private but realistic situations in relationships would get the listeners attention. The logos in this song is found in the Chorus.
The point that the group is trying to make is expressed in the Chorus that is repeated multiple times throughout the song. The use multiple use of the word "You" in the chorus makes the message very personal. One may feel that the singer is talking directly to them. The Lyrics of the chorus states, "You can buy your hair if it won't grow, you can fix your nose if he says so, you can buy all the make up that MAC can make, but if you can't look inside you, find out who am I to be in the position to make me feel So damn unpretty, I'll make you feel unpretty too" (TLC, Unpretty). It is apparent that TLC is trying to relay the message that the things you can change on the outside, hair, makeup, plastic surgery, will not make you feel better on the inside. Self-worth and loving yourself internally is what matters the most. It also sends a message that if you continue to give anyone the power to make you feel insecure or worthless you can only blame yourself because you have allowed
it. The use of ethos though the groups popularity, achievements and being advocates for female empowerment and encouraging self-worth made this song popular. The fan base trusted the source that was delivering the message therefor they listened. The pathos and logos appeal in the lyrics of this song come about by the artist connecting to their fans on a personal and emotional level though the lyrics. Though this song is over a decade old the message TLCs message of self-worth and self -love and female empowerment still stand firm. The message can be revisited today, now more than ever, social media has its unrealistic standards of what pretty should be and if you don't fit the mold of what is being portrayed then you aren't good enough. Hearing this song makes you feel like you don't have to fit the mold, you don't have to conform to what some else wants you to be or look like. It makes you feel that you have self-worth and value, and true beauty comes from within.
The second song, Change, also shows the problem with systematic oppression. J. Cole recounts the time that he saw his friend get shot. This is the main point of the whole album and the song revolves around the tale of this friend who is killed. The last song, 4 Your Eyez Only, brings everything back together and tells the full narrative of his friend’s unfortunate fate. While attacking the life that many people glorify and empathizing with those who are stuck in this life, J Cole closes out his fourth album on a hopeful note. Using the perspective of his deceased friend, he writes a song (the actual album), for his daughter, condemning all that is bad and hoping for her to grow into a somebody. In a heart touching verse the father states “Maybe you hate me, maybe you miss me, maybe you spite
“You Was Right” by Lil Uzi Vert is fairly easy to understand lyrically. The essence of the song deals with unfaithfulness in a relationship as well as the aftermath. Lil Uzi Vert spends a large portion of the song admitting his mistakes to his presumed girlfriend in hopes of making things right between them. The song starts off with the hook, which rests upon the premise of how Lil Uzi Vert should have stayed loyal rather than taking another girl home with him. For example, he says, “You was right, I was wrong” (6) in an attempt to console his girlfriend and apologize. Following the hook, the first verse centers on Lil Uzi Vert’s riches due to his success as a rapper. He ties that in to his relationship by expressing how he wants to share his wealth with his girlfriend. At this stage in the song, Lil Uzi Vert is attempting to win his girlfriend back with his money and general success as a rapper. The hook then repeats itself to indicate that the argument between Lil Uzi Vert and his girlfriend is still continuing. The second verse signifies an escalation in their conflict, as he says, “You just locked the door, so I gotta text you” (42). His girlfriend is refusing to even listen
The music video of “Crooked Smile” by J. Cole illustrates a story that not most people see. The music video reenacts the incident that involved the slain of Aiyana Jones. Although the music video portrays a tragic event, the lyrics of the music video tell a different story. The lyrics tell a message to people, especially females, to love themselves and to not worry what others think of them. In the music video “Crooked Smile,” Cole illustrates the war between the government, drugs, and the innocent victims who are caught in between them. With the song and music video combined, the message to its viewers is to find change and peace not only in the community, but also in our minds.
“My love, she keeps me warm.” Without context, these song lyrics have no impact or power behind them. However, if told that these words were sung by a female vocalist, and preceded by the lyrics “I can’t change, even if it tried, even if I wanted to,” suddenly the words have meaning as a woman sings of her love for another woman (Haggerty, Lewis, Lambert, 2102). These lyrics come from the 2012 song “Same Love” by Macklemore with Ryan Lewis and featuring Mary Lambert. In the song “Same Love,” Macklemore raises his voice against the issues of discrimination, gay rights, and marriage equality that we see in today's era. He uses two fallacies in the song, but Macklemore’s use of the three rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos in his song “Same Love,” have a great level of success in proving the importance of gay rights and marriage equality.
In this song, she sings about events that have oppressed the African American people and other ethnicities in the United States for many years. In the song she states (line 60) “Mafia with diplomas keeping us in a coma trying to own a piece, of the "American Corona”, The Revolving Door, Insanity every floor, Skyscraping, paper chasing, What are we working for? Empty traditions, Reaching social positions, Teaching ambition to support the family superstition?” In this part of the song she is saying that everyone today is trying to be successful and trying to accomplish the American dream. She says that trying too hard to be successful is toxic and it will mess with one’s traditions that he or she does. She also is saying that in some ways it will mess with one’s social abilities with one’s family and friends. Success is only good if one is doing good and feeling good in the end. It is not good when there is no good in involved. Therefore, that’s why she calls it
The above advertisement for Olay Total Effects Pore Minimizing CC cream demonstrates modern day fixation on celebrity culture and photographic subterfuge to avoid truth. The model represented is a conventionally attractive woman whom, because of how healthy she appears, looks prosperous. The quote beside her “I’m not an airbrushed kinda girl, I just want to look it” conflicts with her appearance. From this we learn that she is an average woman infatuated so much with the celebrity look that she too wants to display herself as one. “air brushed kinda girl” implies that those who constantly look airbrushed (celebrities) possess negative personality traits ergo, one would not like to act like them. The assumption that celebrities are
The video promotes a realistic portrayal of women while undermining negative societal expectations put to those women. Furthermore, the message behind it, one calling people to accept themselves and to not feel the need to strive towards unreachable goals set by the media, can be applied to the lives of not only women but men as well. While the song was obviously meant for women, it is still holds the important message for people of any gender, age, or race to understand that being true to and learning to accept one’s self can only lead to positive
Today it is hard to imagine a female celebrity without seeing mental images of someone stumbling out of clubs, under the influence of drugs and alcohol, or exposing their skin. What has happened to the role models that were once defined by people like Audrey Hepburn, Mother Teresa and Eleanor Roosevelt. In between the chaotic mess of people like Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, and the Kardashians is an under-rated role model, Taylor Swift. Just at the age of twenty four, she holds the prestige of winning seven Grammy's becoming one of the greatest musical sensations. Aside from her music, her keen attitude is receiving accolade from many people. Taylor Swift is the best role model for girls of because of her clean public image.
Today they still inspire many other hip hop artists like Young Jeezy, Le$ and Rick Ross. Their southern style in which they do not like to take credit for is imitated by young artist everyday. Their stories of making it even when the odds were against them will always be inspirational especially to the artists in South Texas. I will always have a place for their music in my heart. I never had to live any of the moments that their songs were about, but it has always been nice to live through their rhymes.
Whitney Houston is considered one of the greatest singers of our generation. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, she holds the record of being the most rewarded female artist of all time. I chose her as my topic, because she represents resiliency and tenacity, despite her troubled experiences with drugs and her personal life. Whitney Houston comes from a family with an amazing, musical pedigree; her mother, Cissy Houston, was a successful back-up singer for Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley. Dionne Warwick is her first cousin, and Aretha Franklin is her godmother.
'Til the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more? Shut up slut, you're causin' too much chaos.” (Eminem, Kill You) However, these pejorative lyrics are not unique to male rappers. Nicki Minaj could be considered just as obscene, if not more, than any of the top male rappers.
In Britney Spears song “Criminal” she says, “I know you told me i should stay away.” These words mean that she was advised to stay away but she does not listen. It shows how she made her own choice knowing something might happen. In her words, she teaches that advisement is good but your own choices are what matter.
In contrast to the previous lyrics of despair and feelings of worthlessness, she goes on to sing about how she is unbroken, which is a powerful motif as her album takes the word as its title. ‘Unbroken’ is an apt name as it relates to show how she has not been completely broken by the circumstances she was in:
... most successful “Hot 100” artists. As of 2014, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with twenty. They have received 10 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for Best Original Score and 15 Ivor Novello Awards. Collectively included in Time magazine’s compilation of ‘the 20th Century’s 100 most influential people’, they are the best-selling band in history, with estimated sales of over 600 million records worldwide.
The first line says “I’m weary of the ways of the world”. I think this connects more to what is going on outside of my control, like terrorism or world hunger. Situations like this do not directly affect me ,but can damage my sense of hope. The song goes on to say “You’re feeling like you’re chasing the world, you’re leaving not a trace in the world, but you’re facing the world” (16-18). These are my favorite lines because they explain three major point that contribute to my insecurities. The first part connects to me feeling like everyone is ahead of me in their success. The second line deals with me not feeling like I am contributing to the world enough and the third line connects to me having to compete with others in the world. Listening to this song makes me feel like I am not the only one that has insecurities and it is okay to doubt yourself sometimes. While listening to this song in college I try to remember that I am just human and doing my best is the best I have to offer. As Solange says “..., do you belong? I do I do”.