I am a child of the 90's when music really meant something. The lyrics painted a realistic portrait of what life was like at that time, a much simpler and less frightening world than it is today. Little did I know this was part of a movement that changed music forever. Masters like Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, P-Diddy, Eminem, NWA and others were born out of this movement.
Their lyrics, albeit shocking and offensive at times, may not have been comfortable to hear but it brought many social and political issues to the forefront that many leaders did not have the balls to speak out about. Fast forward to today. Today's music is just that -- music. It seems as if this music was composed while on the jon. No creativity, or originality and worst of all no substance. I started to give up on today's music (which I rarely listen to) when I heard Katy Perry's "Chained to the Rhythm" and I finally felt refreshed.
Even though this song came out last year, I was quite impressed with the choice of music and the content. The lyrics contain hidden messages about the social and political state of affairs right here in the U.S. at the time of the last election.
It brings to light the opinions of many Americans and how they feel about the incoming president and his administration and how Americans seemed to have a flawed ideology of the American political system. That's deep, right? Don't believe me? Then let's dissect the first few lines:
"Are we crazy? Living our lives through a lens. Trapped in our white picket fence like ornaments. So comfortable we're living in a bubble, bubble, so comfortable we cannot see the trouble, trouble."
Then she addresses the flawed ideology of high-class society:
"Aren't you lonely, up there in Utopia where nothing will ever be enough happily numb."
Then she gets to the whole point of the song:
"So put your rose colored glasses on and party on. Turn it up it's your favorite song, dance, dance, dance to the distortion. Turn it up keep it on repeat, stumbling around like a wasted zombie, yeah, you think we're free, drink this one's on me, we are all chained to the rhythm."
Again she addresses how we are fooled into this false sense of security by forces in the government that want to control our "freedom."
Lastly, she shockingly addresses the fate of the political system as a result of being programmed:
"....up in on your high placed liars. Time is tickin' for the empire. The truth they feed is feeble as so many times before. The greed over the people, they stumbling and fumbling and we about to riot, they woke up the lions."
Wow, this song is so simple yet so deep. This song's powerful lyrics bring me back to those days in the 90's when music told a real story. I give this song 5 stars and I will make sure to 'keep it on repeat.'
