Listen to and analyze a popular published song that is based on a subject of public discourse. Describe why and how the lyrics were/are inspired by public debate on the topic. Over the last several decades, recording artists have written and performed songs about war, civil unrest, civil rights, politics, and other topics of importance to the society during their careers. Don’t forget, this assignment is not to write a music review—it’s an exploration of how public discourse may be influenced by popular music, or vice versa. Be sure to incorporate at least two of the communications theories and/or concepts addressed in the attached assignment instructions and covered in the Week 7 Module readings.
Paper length: 3 pages double-spaced; cite all sources.
For this assignment, you will review a piece of popular music that takes a stand on a social or political issue of public discourse and analyze why and how it may have influenced public debates on the issue.
Think creatively and feel free to choose a song from any genre or point in time, but please avoid choosing a song that was not widely released to the public. Don’t forget, this assignment is not to write a traditional music review; it’s an exploration of how the entertainment industry can influence public dialogue, and even effect change in our society.
Be sure to:
- Identify the public discourse issue and the song that you are analyzing (include the year it was released, the artist, and the writer or writers).
- Briefly describe the message and analyze the meaning of the lyrics.
- Examine how the artist communicates their perspective and identify specific examples from the lyrics that address the public discourse issue.
- Think in terms of emotional appeals, logical information, descriptions, or characterization of the good and bad, etc.
- Explore the documented reaction to the song to determine how it sparked public dialogue or perhaps even created societal change. Explain whether it was successful in educating the public, and whether society has further addressed the issue since the song was released.
- Use at least two communication theories or concepts from class materials to analyze how/why the examples from the song would influence audience perceptions and public opinion about the topic. You are encouraged to do your own research online but be sure to use only credible sources. Theories examined in Chapter 11 of your textbook and the readings in the Week 7 module include: Agenda-setting, Framing, Uses & Gratification Theory, Cultivation Theory, Mean World Syndrome, Biased Information Processing, Word of Mouth, Two-Step Flow Theory, Third-Person Effect, etc. Be sure to define and explain each theory/concept before applying it.
- Structure your essay as an academic research paper, and incorporate citations from the class readings, reviews of the song lyrics, interviews with the artist(s), and other outside research to support your conclusions (APA format, please). Citations should be included within the text and at the end of your paper. Assessment criteria can be found in the course rubric for written assignments on Canvas.
Guidelines: Please be sure to check spelling, grammar, and punctuation carefully. Your paper must be at least 3 pages long, double-spaced.
Here are the songs you can pick from (Choose One):
- Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince. This is a song by Taylor Swift
- Alright. This is a song by Kendrick Lamar