Thematic Analysis and Literary Devices in Modern Pop Lyrics

Thematic Analysis and Literary Devices in Modern Pop Lyrics

Song: Blank space
Songwriter: Taylor Swift
Overall message: the song comes at a time where Taylor Swift image has to be taunted by the media by being portrayed as a prostitute due to the fact that she has dated many men. In this song, Taylor rides on the stigma and show us that she is only interested in and long eternal type of a relationship. The song is quite sad as she belittles herself for instance “You can tell me when it’s over if the high was worth the pain.” In this line she already treats the relationship like its already done, failed and they are heading nowhere (Swift, 2014).
Literacy device 1: “Cause you know I love the players and you love the game” this lyric is an example of metaphor – it develops the comparison without using “like” or “as” in this lyrics she links love to a game, she tries to pass the fact that for her love is a game and it really doesn’t matter who wins and she care less about it she is just playing the game for the sake of playing (Swift, 2014).
Literacy device 2: “We’ll take this way too far and leave you breathless or with a nasty scar” this lyric act as an example of extreme exaggeration or hyperbole-overstatement. Usually, when a relationship comes to an end it does not the outcome is never on any physical injuries but emotional and psychological. Therefore she uses exaggeration when claiming that when the relationship ends up to be incredible it will leave him breathless and when it ends up in a nasty way he will end up with a nasty scar (Swift, 2014).

Song: Malibu
Songwriter: Miley Cyrus
Overall message: this song is about what Miley Cyrus was feeling about the relationship he had with Liam Hemsworth who was her fiancé at that moment. The song takes us through the roller coaster relationship the couples had from the time they met to the day they broke up and later on the when they reunited. The song pays tribute to Malibu a place where Cyrus and Liam had a connection with and where her fiancé surfs (Cyrus, 2017).
Literacy device 1: “We are just like the waves that flow back and forth” this lyric compares the relationship that the Miley Cyrus and the fiance had. A simile is used as a device to compare their relationship which was on and off just like the wave that flows back and forth (Cyrus, 2017).
Literacy device 2: “That’s when I make the wish, to swim away with the fish” symbolism is the lyric device used in this lyric. Miley Cyrus uses the fish to symbolize the fact that she did not think of getting there love back and so she swims away with the fish (Cyrus, 2017).
Song: The climb
Overall message: This song is meant to pass the information of not giving up and the fact that it’s never about the fame as well as the glory that one may receive but it’s about the journey that took you there “Ain’t about how fast I get there. Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb” (Cyrus, 2009).

Literacy device 1: Repetition. Cyrus uses several methods of alliteration to communicate to here fans the fact that they should not let anyone look down upon them or bring them down “keep your head high” is an alliteration with the repeated letter ‘h” this takes the message home as it inspires the fans to get hold and control their emotions. The phrase is equally catchy and inspiring (Cyrus, 2009).
Literature device 2: symbolism
“Every step I’m takin’ every move I make.” In this lyric the step symbolizes the struggle that we encounter and the chances we take on a day to day basis “it’s the climb” symbolizes the accomplishment reached through the day to day battle (Cyrus, 2009).

References
Miley Cyrus – Malibu. (2017, May 11). Retrieved from https://genius.com/Miley-cyrus-malibu-lyrics
Miley Cyrus – The Climb. (2009, March 12). Retrieved from https://genius.com/Miley-cyrus-the-climb-lyrics
Taylor Swift – Blank Space. (2014, November 10). Retrieved from https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-blank-space-lyrics