Deceptive Pop Songs

[Manic Webb]

[color=green]This thread may not be appropriate for members who are easily offended on subjects concerning certain [i]physical and intimate acts[/i].[/color]

Pop music. You all know about the boybands, girlgroups, and bleach-blondes and their aggressively cheerful music... or is it?

For a while, it bothered me that none of these "concerned parents" were noticing that artists like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears were hiding sexually explicit lyrics behind light-hearted music, upbeat choral arrangements, and nifty dance steps. It's almost as if nobody heard Christina say "I want your sexuality" in her song "Come On Over." It was frustrating.

I started to forget about all that after certain key pop artists started getting a little more serious with their songs and stopped hiding the meanings behind their songs. Until...

The other day, I was flipping the channels (on TV) when I caught a glimpse of S Club's show (apparently, the 7th member left the group and they changed their name). They were performing a song called "Gangsta Love" with unbelievably cheerful and non-gangsta-ish music playing and a happy-pappy vocal arrangement. Today, I was reading different song lyrics online, when I happened upon the lyrics to S Club's "Gangsta Love."

The song is about having sex. It implies certain sexual acts in both verses, while the ever-so catchy chorus sounds almost completely innocent. I thought pop music had at least evolved beyond this stage of "happy song, dirty message, parents won't suspect a thing."

What do you all think of these kinds of deceptive songs?

[Transtic Nerve]

Sex sells... what can I say? Thats the only reason any group does any song about sex. And probably the reason Christina, Britney, Lil' Kim and several other female music stars are all dirty slutty whores.

[Semjaza]

I thought this was going to be about pop songs people like for some reason or another when they normally loathe that style of music. Guess not heh.

I have no problem with sex in songs. Sure it sells, but many bands are able to convey it in ways I wouldn't imagine. I always find it interesting when a song is deceptive in the sense you described... although generally it's not a dirty song with cheerful music... it's more like a song with metaphors and well placed lyrics that make the song seem like it's about something else if you don't really pay attention.

A good example of that is The Toadies. There are songs that make it seem like the guy truly loves the girl in them, but if you listen close enough... they are incredibly morbid and almost satirical. It's just really well done. Possum Kingdom and I Will Be with Her Tonight are good examples. They both come off as general love songs, but pretty much involve something pretty violent. A lot different from your example though... plus they weren't a pop band.

I guess with pop bands, there is a reason for this deception. Firstly, sex does sell. Secondly, if it sounds cheery perhaps the parents of the kids buying this stuff won't realize what it's truly about.

I think the second one is the most likely reason honestly.

[vegeta rocker]

this reminds me of the group B4-4. They put this song out a few years ago called Down on You or something like that.
The song goes something like if you get down on me ill get down on you . I will do anything that you want me to. Its a game of give and take to make it through. So if you get down on me ill get down on you tonight.
The beat is something like an N SYNC tune and the video has this kid helping out a homeless man and things like that.

Their other song is Go Go. About these two lesbians. Just wrong.

[DarK DeatH]

Yeah, that is somehow stupid... But you know why they do that? Well, they want to sell, right? And that kinda music is sucky, so, it wouldn't sell that easily if there wasn't something to make people buy their CDs... Like, there are no incredible guitars or good vocals or anything that makes a pop band something "different" or good... They do that only because it sells, for sure you can tell... Although, it's sad to see how many people like stuff like that...

You can say it's "well placing of lyrics", but I think it's only stupid... I mean, there can be good songs with "decent" lyrics and all that... For example, you want a song with a "poetic" meaning and a good one at the same time? Nothing Else Matters is a good example... And guess what? It's Metallica... Awesome guitars, bass and decent vocals... And it didn't need that sex subject to be good...

Although, this is my opinion... If you feel like thinking diferent, I have nothing against that...

[Epitome]

Yes I have heard some of these songs. My parents dont really mind what kind of music I listen to but thats not the point. Like Transtic said sex sells. The reason they put these kind of lyrics in their music is so that teenagers and other older "kids" will by them. One of the other things is that all of those singers like Christina Aguleira and Brittany Spears are hott, so if they put those words in their music guys will want to see them and hear them kind of saying it to them if you see what Im trying to say. Thats just my opinion though.

[spike speigel]

What can I say? It's obviously "trendy" (or something like that) to sing about sex. Ever notice how it's basically the meaning behind all pop songs? And, of course, parents wouldn't notice this. They aren't paying close enough attention. All they're thinking is that their children are listening to sweet, innocent people sing sweet, innocent songs. But, hey, that's only one of many problems with our society today.

[TheShinje]

[size=1] Rock songs have warning labels, but Pop songs are so well planned in metaphor that it defies my mind. Parents never complain about the scantily clad girls and sexual imagery lyriced cleverly into in a Birtney, Christina or t.A.T.u song, but as soon as a rock star drops a line about sex or drugs, they go off. As if those squeaky clean Beatles never dropped lines about drugs, what do you think "[b]L[/b]ucy in the [b]S[/b]ky with [b]D[/b]iamonds was about?I could go on forever about the Pop dception conspiracy, it's been around and is as old as Pop itself...[/size]

[Avatarofkaine]

"Rock music is the devil" or not, people have precocieved views of everything, music, people, books, everything, because its pop people presume its light and bubly, because its rock, people presume its rough raw abusive, its the same way with people, if go downtown dressed in black or unusually as i often do, i am instantly classified as a "gay gothic loser" while i do believe that its quite interesting to be a gothic, for me to call myself one would bring untold badgering from true gothics, they know if they are a true gothic or not, i mearly dress individually.

sidetracking alot but the point i am trying to make is that people have decided everything before they look, listen, comprehend it, thats why pop songs get away with what they do.

[James]

[color=#335062]I don't know what to say about this, really.

I don't have any problem with sex in music. And I'm the last person to tell you that music is problematic based on that.

But we do have to bear in mind that groups like S-Club 7 are based [i]entirely[/i] on entertaining kids. That's what their whole image and music is based around.

Having said that, it's possible that most kids simply won't get the message of what they're saying. I think it's fair to say that generally, these songs are about a melody...not really about a particular lyrical message, if that makes sense. Kids listen to this so they can dance; they mostly don't care about or notice the sexual aspects to the songs. Even if they hear "I want your sexuality", I doubt they really think about what it means. They just say it because it rhymes or whatever.[/color]

[Snufkin]

To tell you the truth I don't have a problem with lyrics. I don't listen to music much because music over here in America, especially pop, really sucks. They have some pretty good music here, like Linkin Park, but most of it conveys to subjects that should not attract the attention of younger children. The thing that gets to me about the musicians that sing these songs isn't the lyics, but the singer. People like Britney and Christina just disgust me.
...but this thread isn't about flaming pop stars so I'll just shut up.
Back on topic, I do think they should consider changing their lyrics because they are rather offending and are a little...too much.

[Dan Rugh]

How about that Justin Timberlake song, "Rock Your Body." The title should give you an idea what this song is about. He even says at one point in it, "I bet I'll have you naked by the end of this song."

I wonder if JT realizes that he is saying that to little girls. We don't need another R. Kelly in the music industry :sick:

[Epitome]

And like another thing is, in Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini's new movie, you see KC and JG like freak dancing to the music that they are singing. I dont think parents would like to see that in a Rated G movie, but they wont complain about it because their kids like it and they really cant do anything in the movie and change it. They are singing about the same things that they are doing too. I dont think its appropriate for little kids though.

And its not like I dont like [b]some[/b] of the songs, but I mean, the sex in some of the songs could really influence kids of younger ages. I think they should start trying to tone it down a little bit, but like I said before... thats just my opinion.

[Lady Macaiodh]

[color=darkblue][size=1]Well, think about it, people.

Singers like Britney, Christina, and Justin are incredibly rich, famous, party animals with beautiful people begging to have sex with them, and are just now becoming adults. They can pretty much do whatever they want, however they want to do it. What do you [i]expect[/i] them to sing about? Little Bunny Foo-Foo hopping through the forest?[/color][/size]

[Manic Webb]

I'm not so much complaining about having sex in songs (I'm an R&B fan. And that genre is 80% sex), as I'm complaining about how the sexual message is usually hidden behind a child-friendly image.

Britney Spears (and certainly not Christina Aguilera) don't hide their lyrics behind child-friendly images anymore. When Christina did the video to "Come On Over," she was dancing in confetti with bright and light-hearted imagry everywhere. Nowadays, she's telling people she wants to get dirrty while having grinding up against everything that walks. There's nothing wrong with that, because's actually shedding her kid-friendly image. She went to a few extremes that even made a porn-star say "she could teach me a few things," but at least she's being real.

There are some singers and groups who give off this image of their music being for kids. If your lyrics aren't for children, don't make your music videos and image appeal toward them. Britney, Justin, and Christina have, believe it or not, matured in both their images and music.

S Club, on the other hand, is the most kid-centered pop group still around (although I'm sure only about a dozen American kids actually watch their show), and up until this point, their hidden sexual messages have been much milder than "Gangsta Love."