Eva Zangerli's research team examined 12,000 English songs published over the past five decades (1980 to 2020) and assigned them to the five genres of pop, rock, R&B, country and rap.
Anger is trending
Data analysis shows that the songs became more and more repetitive over time. Therefore, the songs are generally simpler and more catchy. Vocabulary has also become more limited, especially in rock and rap songs. However, modern rap songs still have a high level of linguistic complexity compared to songs of other genres, according to the authors.
Easier to Digest Songs – Beyond
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Are musicians less creative or why do they tend to use simpler lyrics? The study's authors discuss this development and attribute it in part to the fact that catchy songs are preferred across streaming platforms. Because these songs attract a wider audience and are therefore more likely to achieve commercial success.
The authors speculate that changing music consumption could be related to this as well. For example, more and more people are allowing music to play in the background.
The lyrics tend to become more personal and emotional. More negative themes are sung in R&B, pop, and country music. It seems that the musicians want to vent their strength. They use words related to anger often in their texts.
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