Pop lyrics seem to have taken a turn towards the “me” and “I” variety, according to a new study. The study analyzed three decades of songs, and concluded that song lyrics have become more narcissistic in recent years, reflecting current youth culture. Is that really true? Maura Johnston, music editor for The Village Voice, lends her thoughts on this topic.
We want to know: Do you believe you are narcissistic? Take this test and find out. We asked listeners to help us come up with a playlist of today’s narcissistic songs.
Monica Rodriguez wrote to us via Facebook: “It might be because music (mostly pop and hip hop) now is marketed to mostly teenagers … and teens are very self-centered! Adult contemporary, country, alternative and even electronic music doesn’t seem really narcissistic. My favorite song that’s ‘all about me’ is ‘Brass in Pocket’ by The Pretenders”
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!