Welcome!
I'm Clifford Stumme, and I use literary analysis and research to explain the deeper meanings of pop songs. Feel free to leave a comment or to email me at clifford@popsongprofessor.com with questions or ideas!
I'm Clifford Stumme, and I use literary analysis and research to explain the deeper meanings of pop songs. Feel free to leave a comment or to email me at clifford@popsongprofessor.com with questions or ideas!
All tagged song meaning
You're going to have a heart attack, but I didn't really get into music until after Jay-Z stopped producing music because he had to manage a label and not seem like he was biased towards promoting his own music. So, that being said, I don't know a lot about him other than all of the all-but-confirmed (by his and Beyonce's lyrics) rumors that he cheated on Beyonce. But I feel like "4:44" is about all of the introduction I need to who he is. He lays out everything here.
I've already explained seven out of the eleven songs on Evolve, and I'm not going to explain every song on the album. Two of the ones I've explained so far have been unfortunately rather shallow or rather vague in a "pop music sort of way" that leaves me wanting something deeper from Dan Reynolds and Imagine Dragons. So, to make sure that I wasn't wasting time, I looked at the last four I hadn't explained yet and decided that "Rise Up" was likely the deepest one I hadn't explained. The song's interesting, written almost entirely by band members, and focuses on a theme of improving one's self. Let's see if it stands up to explication.
While explaining several of the songs from Imagine Dragons's new Evolve album, I've the album playing in the background, and few songs have piqued my interest like "Yesterday." Each time it comes on, my ears perk up and I wonder, "Wait, what song is that?" I think it's because Imagine Dragons seems to be digging further back into the indie/alternative roots with this song. There's the eclectic voice emphasized and a bouncing, pounding drum-piano medley to give the track character and texture.
"All I Can Think about Is You" by Coldplay is a slow, soft, sweet song with one main message: the same message that the title so clearly lays out. All that Chris Martin's narrator can think about is someone he's romantically interested in. Musically, the song is very impressive, it feels like it travels over several different soundscapes and backgrounds as Martin feels out the different ideas and sentiments that the lyrics are built on.
This song is one of the eeriest and saddest from Lorde's new Melodrama record. "Sober II" includes some interesting and eerie vocal gymnastics and a paired down but powerful sounding instrumental background. I think it gets most powerful when the drumbeat kicks in over Lorde saying things like "They’ll talk about us, all the lovers / How we kiss and kill each other." The intensity here is certainly a quiet, understated one, but it may be present on the album no more anywhere than here on "Sober II."
Lorde just dropped her Melodrama album, and it's awesome. Unlike Pure Heroine, romantic relationships figure heavily into the lyrical content, but the songs are very good and full of interesting metaphors and unique perspectives on topics some would have thought over-mined. Lorde surprises us with her ability to be fresh when writing pop music. And I think it's largely thanks to her ability to write such tangible, interesting lyrics that make us think more deeply.
The Weeknd does a masterful job of curating this track. Or should I say that Abel Tesfaye does? That's one of those things that trips up even the biggest fan of The Weeknd--Abel Tesfaye and The Weeknd are not the same person. And that's one of the things we talk about in today's episode of The Pop Song Professor Podcast.
Paramore dropped the music video for a new single just a few days ago, and it's been very interesting, between "Told You So" and the previously released "Hard Times" to try to predict the direction the band is taking. My impression of Paramore's earlier music was that it was fairly hardcore, but this new music seems to have Latin influence and seems lighter and easier to digest.
Harry Styles just released the next single from his upcoming album Harry Styles, and if any song from any former One Direction band member is going to claim indie influence, it's probably going to be "Sweet Creature." The name's already odd enough to be alternative, and the folksy backing vocals, simple guitar picking, and country-inspired vocal flourishes remind me heavily of acoustic alternative songs about summer days and childhood.
Just a few days ago, Imagine Dragons released "Thunder," and I have to say that I really like it. I remember hearing "Radioactive" for the first time. There was a girl I liked, and she, a few friends of ours, and I sat on her parents' livingroom floor sharing music. She brought out Imagine Dragons, and while relationally she didn't change my life, musically she might have. I was interning for a US senator at the time, and I remember pulling up Grooveshark and listening to Imagine Dragons songs non-stop.
So, today we're talking about an absolutely wonderful song--Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." The lyrics are deep, interesting, and unique, and I think you'll enjoy this episode. Plus, while the sound quality may be a little lower than usual, we did this podcast live on YouTube, so we got viewers' comments in on it! So, you have a voice! We hope to do more of these and can't wait to see you on our behind-the-scenes live editions of the show!
Lorde just released her newest song from Melodrama. And when I say "just," I mean "just." "Liability" is less than hour old, but it's already easy to hear how good it is. Interestingly, it's a different style from anything from Pure Heroine. The song sounds more singer-songwriter than any of the dark, synthy pop on Pure Heroine, but the lyrics are still angsty, dark, and sad. It's the same Lorde even if she sounds a little different in "Liability."
All right, people! It's time to talk about a recently released song. I've been a big fan of Imagine Dragons for a while, and I'm pumped to explain this one. "Believers" is beautifully "musicked," and the lyrics are deep too. Plus, I have my cousin Drew on the show since we're both big fans of the band.
I've never seriously listened to Arcade Fire until now, but I've done some research on their latest single "I Give You Power," and I think you're going to like the depth of this song. The lyrics are a tad repetitive but still powerful, and the story behind the song may surprise you even more.
Ed Sheeran released this song while I was on a trip to Africa, so I didn't get the chance to explain it right away, but there's still time, and I'd like to take a closer look at the meaning of the lyrics. Sheeran is an extremely talented musician, and I've greatly appreciated the artistry of some of his other songs, so it's a pleasure to explain this one.
Taylor Swift and ZAYN just dropped their new duet "I Don't Wanna Live Forever." The song's going to be part of the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, and it's intense. The song's musical aspect is smooth and rich and interesting. The lyrics, on the other hand, are very simple and straightforward--they're about a relationship that didn't work out the first time around.
