Sit down and listen to the lyrics of a song you like a lot. Do you listen to the beat or the lyrics? Do you think that beat or those lyrics influence your behaviors?
Back in the 80's if you listen to the top hits of that decade, you hear mostly about love and, if not love, it's all energetic and full of happiness. Now ask your parents or think to yourself, "How was the 80's? Would you go back from today?" That decade was gnarly and quite radical!
Now lets move on ten more years to the fly 90's with the Spice Girls and Haddaway. Of course love exists in a big area of our music but we start to see more up-beat hip hop music with artists like Christina Aguilera and songs like Genie in a Bottle. There is also a change in clothing, which starts to change the new looks in America, thanks to MC hammer in "Can't Touch This."
Now another 10 years, we move on to the sweet 2000s with all our "peeps." The 2000s are where a huge change in our music hits occurs. Rap and Hip Hop emerge with hits like Nelly's "Hot In Here," Jay Z's "99 Problems" and 50 Cent's "In Da Club." Our minds start to change. Elderly people start to get upset with their children listening to music like Justin Timberlake with "SexyBack" and Kanye West with "Gold Digger." However that is the new style of song. Every kid listened to music from Eminem to be hip and in style. This is where we saw much change in our society. The energetic and fun generation started to grow different.
Which introduces us to the 2010s with wicked beats and bass. we are introduced to techno and loud noises that becomes very catchy like the very well known "Harlem Shake" by Baauer and "Turn Down for What" by Dj Snake and Lil Jon. Our society started to turn into big time party goers and rebels. However, country and other genres still play the same classical musical as always. Only the top hits really influence our behaviors because it is the most listened to radio stations in cars, work places and even at home.
Lastly, we convert to our current day of age 2016. As the end of the year approaches, many songs made it to top hits throughout the year. The Chainsmokers, and "Closer" or Shawn Mendes and "Treat You Better" made it to the top but we still have an abundance of love songs. However, they are different because they are all about being close in a back seat of a rover or being better than another guy. Its all about sex or competition, which teaches the generation growing up that that is a norm. Relationships become games and teen pregnancy goes up because of all the sex references. Drug references in music are at an all time high! With Chance the Rapper, Desiigner and The Weeknd. All the drug references influence kids that drugs are cool and chill. Is this the explanation for the high demand of legalization of marijuana and Snoop's Tv Show "Mary and Jane?"
Music is changing how society views life. If you have a break up you look and listen to music, if you wanna have a good time you turn on music, even if you are bored or tired you depend on music. Music is a huge influence in our society and that's why the lyrics are what they are. They are to change the views and persuade you to think a certain way. And you don't even know this is happening! So next time your listening to your jam, listen to the lyrics and the message. Try to see how the song actually effects you in your physical, mental and emotional life. Weird isn't it?
