This tension proved a hotbed for coded pop, from the gender politics of Eurythmics and Culture Club, to Bruce Springsteen's punchy blue-collar protests (Born in the USA went over the heads of the Reagan administration, who attempted to spin it as a gung-ho anthem). The 1980s Western mainstream felt both rampantly materialistic and weirdly puritanical stylistic excess abounded, from fashion to music productions, yet a heavily judgemental tone also presided across conservative governments in the UK and US, as well as media coverage, particularly when it came to social and sexual expression. It's a bit like a support network."Īs a child/teenager, I didn't grasp the concept of resistance or representation via news bulletins I learned everything through pop. A lot of pop music is really important because it invites you to become part of a movement, no matter what that is. Now, BTS also embody so much of that gang mentality, and the connection with their fans is so powerful. I saw it again, years later, working on the initial marketing for One Direction. They had a swagger, and when you watched them perform, you imbibed something of that the idea was: 'you could be part of this gang'. "Their music was very formulaic, repetitive, kind of like a mantra. "NKOTB brought a kind of expansiveness that we hadn't had in British pop for a while," argues Kadis, who is now a music manager and industry consultant. Kadis insists that even the frothiest lyrics and poses can evoke a coded power – including early-'90s boy band, New Kids on the Block. Pop songs don't originate themes of mental wellbeing, equality, liberty, activism – but they do transmit them to the broadest platforms possible.Īs with song lyrics, this immersion in pop music operated on more than one level at once – although the underlying message was a sense of camaraderie pop is essentially a unifying force. It has given voice to individuals and groups denied access to other platforms for expression." Pop music has often been dismissed as "lightweight" given its young audience, simple snappiness and mainstream status, but those elements are really where its strength is concealed. US musician and author Ted Gioia argues in his excellent book Music: A Subversive History (2019): "At every stage in human history, music has been a catalyst for change, challenging conventions and conveying coded messages – or, not infrequently, delivering blunt, unambiguous ones. The most iconic 21st-Century dance anthem Pop music is both universal and intensely subliminal a catchy tune grabs our attention, but it is the coded elements (lyrically and visually) that really connect with us – and at their most powerful, they are positively transformative. This might be a selective shuffle from Eilish's catalogue, but the idea of a "secret note" to listeners expressing her happiness is also persuasive, particularly as her material has addressed mental health and personal vulnerability. When multi-award-winning 19-year-old singer-songwriter Billie Eilish announced her upcoming second album release, many fans on social media were abuzz about a possible "hidden message" linking her various record titles: My Future Everything I Wanted Happier Than Ever.
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