Trending Songs Vocalize Vulgar Language in Volume
By Bibi Sediqi
By Bibi Sediqi
Music is a universal form of expression, subjective from person to person. With the changing industry of music, there are new genres coming out every day. I believe a person's music taste is reflective of themselves and who they are.
Artists have the creative freedom to write lyrics about what they choose, but this can be controversial due to its influential impact as it has become more prevalent in social media platforms.
Many students might be familiar with the sensational app TikTok with its trending sounds and challenges. These trends become global, and people of all ages are able to enjoy the fun. The app has a 13 and up age restriction, but despite this, there are still children who are younger than this age on the app. It doesn't take long to scroll on the ‘For You Page’ to see a child under the age restrictions engaged in a video.
When you pay more attention to the videos you notice there is almost always a song playing in the background. When you listen a bit closer you'll hear the lyrics. Of course, there will always be the usual cuss words in the song, but in addition many times it will also have a vulgar meaning.
It doesn't just stop at TikTok, other apps like Instagram and even YouTube promote these types of songs. These “Trending Sounds” are usually trending because of the beat or rhythm of a song, making the lyrics oftentimes overlooked. It seems concerning that we are desensitized to the lyrics of a song.
I have noticed many times that trending songs have very inappropriate meanings. I also enjoy the beat of the song like most people, I am not against modern music, but I am astonished by the meaning behind the lyrics.
The vulgar language, and even talking about harmful things made me think about how artists get away with singing such things. The lyrics almost always objectify either men or women, sending a harmful message about people and their bodies.
A few popular examples can be found on America’s Billboard 100 where top charting songs are kept recorded to see what is the most listened to. “Kill Bill” by SZA, “Players” by Coi Leray and “Unholy” by Sam Smith, three top charting songs, have one thing in common, the way they use descriptive and vulgar language to objectify.
I want to know if people are fully understanding and taking in the lyrics or are mindlessly lip-syncing and dancing along to the song, only because it is “trending.” What threw me off more was how children and families were using the songs. I do not have any control over what people choose to listen to, but people should be made aware that subconsciously, what you listen to psychologically affects you as a person.
Even if you don't actively try and pay attention to lyrics, you are still feeding this idea into your subconscious. This can be especially damaging to youth, as they are still developing their value and belief systems.
There should be some sort of modern censorship for this issue. Artists should be held accountable. They should be aware of the amount of impact their music has on our current society. Promoting harmful language that blends into society, will create low esteem, violence, and even a vulnerable future for listeners.
This not only affects mental health but also reinforces stereotypes. Next time you find yourself mindlessly scrolling or listening to something, listen closely and pay attention. Have you ever noticed the lyrics before? Do you really understand what the artist is singing about?
Artists have the creative freedom to write lyrics about what they choose, but this can be controversial due to its influential impact as it has become more prevalent in social media platforms.
Many students might be familiar with the sensational app TikTok with its trending sounds and challenges. These trends become global, and people of all ages are able to enjoy the fun. The app has a 13 and up age restriction, but despite this, there are still children who are younger than this age on the app. It doesn't take long to scroll on the ‘For You Page’ to see a child under the age restrictions engaged in a video.
When you pay more attention to the videos you notice there is almost always a song playing in the background. When you listen a bit closer you'll hear the lyrics. Of course, there will always be the usual cuss words in the song, but in addition many times it will also have a vulgar meaning.
It doesn't just stop at TikTok, other apps like Instagram and even YouTube promote these types of songs. These “Trending Sounds” are usually trending because of the beat or rhythm of a song, making the lyrics oftentimes overlooked. It seems concerning that we are desensitized to the lyrics of a song.
I have noticed many times that trending songs have very inappropriate meanings. I also enjoy the beat of the song like most people, I am not against modern music, but I am astonished by the meaning behind the lyrics.
The vulgar language, and even talking about harmful things made me think about how artists get away with singing such things. The lyrics almost always objectify either men or women, sending a harmful message about people and their bodies.
A few popular examples can be found on America’s Billboard 100 where top charting songs are kept recorded to see what is the most listened to. “Kill Bill” by SZA, “Players” by Coi Leray and “Unholy” by Sam Smith, three top charting songs, have one thing in common, the way they use descriptive and vulgar language to objectify.
I want to know if people are fully understanding and taking in the lyrics or are mindlessly lip-syncing and dancing along to the song, only because it is “trending.” What threw me off more was how children and families were using the songs. I do not have any control over what people choose to listen to, but people should be made aware that subconsciously, what you listen to psychologically affects you as a person.
Even if you don't actively try and pay attention to lyrics, you are still feeding this idea into your subconscious. This can be especially damaging to youth, as they are still developing their value and belief systems.
There should be some sort of modern censorship for this issue. Artists should be held accountable. They should be aware of the amount of impact their music has on our current society. Promoting harmful language that blends into society, will create low esteem, violence, and even a vulnerable future for listeners.
This not only affects mental health but also reinforces stereotypes. Next time you find yourself mindlessly scrolling or listening to something, listen closely and pay attention. Have you ever noticed the lyrics before? Do you really understand what the artist is singing about?