Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Popular Music as a Reflection of Culture

Shifting from the theme of relationships in the songs “One More Night” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” to the theme of longing for an identity in the song “Some Nights”, the top three songs in the country all utilize upbeat music, similar uses of onomatopoeia, and common shifts within the music to appeal to our modern American culture.
            The three most popular songs in the country at the moment all contain an upbeat music style. The musical aspect of the songs is important because it is the first things you most often hear when the song begins. Having a cheerful melody selection makes the song appealing to many audiences, which attracts a large profit. With the help of an appealing tune, a song can become very popular and successful in American culture.
            Incorporating the use of onomatopoeia in a song can also add to its attractiveness to large audiences. All three songs utilize, in one way or another, the sound “oooh”, which is also appealing to listen to. It is a simple element of the songs that links them together even though they are generally different.
            Tempo changes in the music of a song affect the mood of the song. The top three songs of the American culture all develop changes in the music. This allows the audience to easily identify a shift in the song as well as create a distinction between lines or verses of the song. The songs utilize the change in music to draw attention to the shift and add depth to the song.
            American culture is largely based on our popular music. The top three songs right now are “One More Night”, by Maroon 5; “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, by Taylor Swift; and “Some Nights”, by Fun. Although these songs are not all similar in terms of theme and mood, they all utilize comparable devices to attract listeners. Their use of similar tempo shifts, language, and melody are contributing factors to their great success in the music media industry.

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