Let’s be honest—we can’t help but jam to these songs.
Whenever we listen to music, we sometimes can’t help but pay attention to the beat and melody first. As they are catchy, these songs trend due to their vibe and musicality which hooks listeners that may or may not completely know or understand the meaning of the lyrics.
Once we realize the lyrics of the song, it may never be the same or we still vibe to it while trying to ignore its meaning. Like the saying, “ignorance is bliss,” especially if you enjoy it.
As much as we like these songs, they actually scream red flag:
“Ain’t My Fault” by Zara Larsson
This song is very catchy especially when and can be danced in clubs because of its EDM track. But if we read the pre-chorus, we will see that the persona is gaslighting the person they are addressing to.
The pre-chorus: “No, I-I-I-I can’t be responsible, If I-I-I-I get you in trouble now, See, you’re-‘re-‘re-‘re too irresistible, Yeah, that’s for sure.”
The persona is saying how strong their emotions are and that they might cause trouble. They can’t help but feel attracted and want to do things to them out of impulse.
The last line from the first verse says: “Please don’t blame me for what happens next.” This hints that the persona might take advantage of the person but shouldn’t be blamed because it’s not their fault that they are turned on by their attractiveness.
“Stay” by The Kid LAROI, Justin Bieber
After its release, this song was played repeatedly on radio shows and in music apps. The beat is catchy but the opening lines give a vibe that the persona is manipulative
The chorus of the song says: “I do the same thing, I told you that I never would, I told you I’d changed, even when I knew I never could, I know that I can’t find nobody else as good as you, I need you to stay, need you to stay.”
When someone says they’ll change but they don’t have the urge to, those are signs of manipulation. The lyrics clearly show that the persona is letting their partner think they can be better even though they can’t. They also beg them to stay despite showing bad behavior.
“Cheating On You” by Charlie Puth
This song talks about the persona in a current relationship who feels that he is cheating because he is still hung up on his ex.
The chorus of the song: “I know I said goodbye and, baby, you said it too, But when I touch her, I feel like I’m cheating on you, I thought that I’d be better when I found someone new, But when I touch her, I feel like I’m cheating on you.”
Clearly, the persona is not cheating on their ex but on their current partner. When you harbor feelings for a person that is not your partner, especially if it’s your ex—that is emotional cheating.
“Glimpse of Us” by Joji
An emotional song that has listeners hooked but looking closely, it’s about the persona remembering their ex despite being in a new relationship.
The part from the first verse shows that the persona is comparing his current relationship to his past one: “Why then, if she’s so perfect, Do I still wish that it was you? Perfect don’t mean that it’s workin’, So what can I do?”
The chorus of the song: “’Cause sometimes, I look in her eyes, And that’s where I find a glimpse of us, And I try to fall for her touch, But I’m thinkin’ of the way it was, Said I’m fine and said I moved on, I’m only here passing time in her arms, Hopin’ I’ll find a glimpse of us.”
Just like the previous song, this song involves emotional cheating but is overlooked by the melancholic vibe of the song.
“stacy’s brother” by mad tsai
As much as we love this song for LGBTQIA+ representation, it showed the persona leading “Stacy” on while having a secret relationship with her brother.
The first verse narrates how the persona is friends with Stacy who takes interest in them. The verse goes: “I’ve been hanging out with Stacy, Everybody thinks we’re dating, ‘Cause I spend my weekends hanging at her house, She’s a part of the cheer team, Top of her class and she’s prom queen, When we study chemistry, She unbuttons her blouse.”
But then the pre-chorus reveals that the persona is not interested in Stacy but her brother whom he has a relationship. The verse goes: “But I got a secret I must confess, It’s not her laugh or the way she’d dress, She’s not the reason I’ve been thinking ’bout love, Every weekend when we hangout, I lose my cool when he’s around, And I don’t know if this is just a crush, How do I find the words to tell her? I’m in love with Stacy’s brother.”
The persona was aware that Stacy likes them but doesn’t tell them directly. It is not easy to come out, especially when someone takes interest in you. However, it is also not right to lead them on and engage in a relationship with someone related to them.
Just like people, sometimes we notice only the surface without knowing what they’re really about. There are three options: 1) no longer listen and support songs with these messages, 2) ignore the message and vibe to it, and 3) be aware of the message but still vibe to it.
Let’s be honest—we’ll still vibe to these songs after knowing their messages. Sometimes, we cannot help but consider them as our guilty pleasure but we should be mindful of the messages they relay and not bring them into real life.
banner by: @kayesketches
