For my second cultural artifact, I chose a Koreanalbum that includes 2012’s hottest song, Gagnamstyle:Psy’s 6甲 (6th album). InJuly 2012, Artist Psy introduced the album after two gap years of his previousalbum. The album brought great expectation as five tracks of the total sixtracks were featured by five top Korean singers. The album and artist receivedits greatest attention, especially when Gangnamstylebecame a world famous song. Although all the songs were written in Korean,this link contains translated lyrics of the tracks for your betterunderstanding: http://www.nomorelyrics.net/psy-lyrics.html.I especially have decided to listen to Psy’ 6 album because its worldwidepopularity might blind listeners to judge apocalyptic meaning correctly.
All of the Psy’s track included “love” asits components. Songs like “Passionate Goodbye,” “What Would Have Been,” “NeverSay Goodbye,” and even “Gangnamstyle” described relationship from variousaspects. Listening to the songs and reading the lyrics, I realized that thealbum is signifying relationship and love as essential purpose of human beings.In the song “Never Say Goodbye,” for example, a relationship is descripted asongoing process of life that will always coexist with humanity (“Comedies and tragedies are all plays thathave an end, life is just an instance of those. Out of my remainingdays, I'm the youngest today. So I'm leaving to somewhere again”). Whileone of the Kingdom’s qualities definitely includes healthy relationship, someof the tracks (such as Gangnamstyle) explicitlyencourage the listeners to consider relationship based of appearances, sexualappeals, and shallowness. Ultimately, the album is both depicting and conveyingthat humans are born to belong to another sex for vacancy in relationship. Asthis relationship compromises content for most of the album’s songs, it showshow a life can be devoted to follow the empire’s concept of relationship in oursecular world.
Secular world, or the Empire, has been explicitlyrevealed in this album. Gangnamstyle isstill being loved by people around the world, reaching over one billion viewerson Youtube. However, the message that lies behind the song implies of standardsof cool guys and girls in a glittering city like Gangnam, where all the richand authoritative Koreans dwell. This sexually appealing song defines “beauty”and “sexiness.” Like the qualities stressed in the Empire, the song valuessexuality, wealth, toughness, playfulness, and irrationality of men and women.Unlike the Kingdom where beauty is found just as we are, it is polished throughvarious additional false attachments. “My first cigarette was electrifying, myfirst kiss was sweet, my first sex was intense,” arefew verses from “Seventy Seven 101.” These verses convey that enjoyment in lifecomes from what the world considers as fun. Immature listeners would absorb thelyrics and take it for themselves. In these songs, God’s Kingdom cannot befound even unfortunately.
In the song of “Blue Frog,” finally there is someappearance of God’s Kingdom. The song basically discusses of being different inthe restricted and generalized society: “I’mnot wrong, I’m just different. If you say it’s a problem, then it’s aproblem.” This verse encouragespeople to not conform to the society norms but develop ourselves according towhat has given to us. In another perspective though, the song also manifestpostmodernism that is ruling our generation, as it claims that right and wrongdepends on one’s judgment.
The album might have created regarding theseconcepts to appeal to general social norm, which reflects majority of theempire’s values. Whether the artist’s intention was to discourage or encouragethe listeners to pursue the Empire, the album has certainly impacted fragileaudience to loose judgment and discernment as it is popular in our world.
sexually appealing, sets the standard thatwhat is beauty and sexually appealing has to be wealthy, talks about beautyquality of men and women.
Gangnamstylewas thrilled all around the world with its secular danceand appeals.
For audiences that are unable to makecertain judgments on a cultural artifact, should this album be available to allpeople? Or where should the responsibility of guiding immature audience towrongful thoughts lie to?
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder