- A group of researchers examined the lyrics of 12,000 English-language rap, country, pop, R&B and rock songs released between 1980 and 2020.
- The study found that song lyrics became simpler and more understandable over time, word diversity decreased, and the use of words with three or more syllables increased, especially in rap and rock songs.
- Additionally, it was observed that the emotional and personal content of the songs increased over time.
Eva Zangerle and colleagues conducted a comprehensive analysis of 12,000 English-language songs released between 1980 and 2020 across a variety of genres, including rap, country, pop, R&B and rock. Researchers have also discovered many interesting trends in song lyrics over time.
In general, with the decrease in the variety of words used in rap and rock songs, the lyrics have become simpler and more understandable. However, the number of words with three or more syllables has increased in rap songs since 1980. This suggests that although longer words are more common in rap, lyrics in general are becoming more repetitive across genres, leading to a simplification of the language.
The researchers also noted a trend toward more emotional and personal lyrics over time. While positive and negative emotional lyrics increased in rap songs, there was also an increase in negative emotional lyrics in R&B, pop and country songs. There is an increase in the use of words related to anger across all genres.
Further analysis of the reception of the lyrics on the online platform Genius revealed interesting patterns. The fact that old rock songs tended to be viewed more than new ones showed that rock listeners preferred the lyrics of old songs. In contrast, new country songs are viewed more than older songs. This shows that country listeners prefer newly released lyrics.
These findings shed light on the evolution of music over the last four decades. It highlights changes in lyrical complexity, emotional content, and listener preferences across different genres.
Compiled by: Eliz Canyurt