Jeremih, "Imma Star", Rap, 2009
Pussycat Dolls, "When I Grow Up", Pop, 2008
Travie McCoy, "Billionaire", Hip Hop/Reggae, 2010
N*SYNC, "Celebrity", Pop, 2001
Drake, "Successful", R&B, 2010
Liberation Songs
Boys Like Girls," The Great Escape", Rock, 2006
Linkin Park, "Runaway", Rock, 2000
Akon, "Freedom", R&B, 2009
Mumford and Sons, "The Cave", Folk, 2010
Nelly Furtado, "I'm Like A Bird", Pop, 2000
As I said last week in our individualistic and materialistic society, finding songs circling money/glory/fame is easy. However, in many of the songs I found I repeatedly heard the same message about the dangers and negative repercussions of fame. In this aspect, American views on fame coincide with the Hindu view that fame is temporary, competitive, and precarious. However, modern music also discusses the rumors and betrayals accompanied by fame. I think this inclusion is due to the development gossip outlets like news, paparazzi, etc. Additionally, many artists who sing about fame mention an impoverished past, implying that their current fame is redemption from their previous poor lifestyle. Songs on liberation were not as hard to find as community service songs. However, the American view on liberation varies greatly from the Hindu ideal. Liberation according to American music is about running away from your troubles and past. Moksha, on the other hand, means ultimate happiness, completion, and oneness. Because freedom in America is thought of as escape it is often an impulsive, fast route. In Hinduism, achieving moksha can take not only a whole lifetime but also several life times. A possibly reason behind Americans seeking a quick release is because the common American believes in a single lifetime. Also, most Americans seek a comfortable lifestyle above all else so when the world isn’t going our way it is time to move on rather than understand that struggles are a part of living.
i like your point on how for success songs, the singers do talk about how their great life now is somehow the product of the difficult life they had before. However, i found that when i looked up songs for success, i didnt find artists saying its temporary. i found them saying that this is their life now and it will remain that way
ReplyDeleteI feel that your point is very good, and after finally reading someones blog for the first time, coincides with some of my points. I saw that you wrote about an artist with a bad past that makes it successful, I wrote about the song Juicy by BIG and wrote about the same thing, so the American view on success is based off where you were to where you are now, the classic rags to riches model.
ReplyDeleteI like how you said the american view of liberation being different from the Hindu one because as i was trying to find songs i could not find any until i started to look at liberation differently instead of just looking at it from the Hindu standpoint.
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