Why are we so obsessed with who an artist is singing about in their songs?
As fans, we feel as if we know an artist at a personal level. With social media, we can interact with a band or an artist so easily. On Instagram, we get an inside look at their lives. On snapchat, we get to see their day to day operations. On twitter, we see their thoughts and what they think about other topics around the world. We as audience feels a connection, and a friendship with the artist.
When an artist puts out a new single or a new song, they tell the audience over social media. We know who they are dating, where they are, and who they are with all the time. When an artist is dating someone, we try to examine every aspect of their relationship. When they break up, we look for all the warning signs and investigate what went wrong. Many times, an artist ends a relationship, and a brand-new album comes out sometime after it. As an audience, we get excited that new music has arrived, and we spent time decoding each line. Every song must have a meaning, and we try to see who is being talked about and what ex made the album.
Not only is the end to a relationship great material to write an album, but drama and “beef” is another good one. It is beginning to happen more often, where artists release songs or albums dissing another album, and this becomes a “war.” Artists release music as their response to an ongoing feud or drama with another artist, celebrity or narrative.
Recently, The Weekend whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, dropped his new album “My Dear Melancholy.” Just before the release of this album, the Weekend and pop star Selena Gomez ended a 10 month relationship. They both were spotted numerous times together, kissing, holding hands, and they both appeared on each other’s social media pages. Fans speculated that when the relationship ended, a new album would be dropped. The Weekend is known for his descriptive and tell all lyrics, so this new album is something fans know how to decode. Fans also believe that some songs in the album are related to model Bella Hadid. The Weekend and Hadid dated for almost two years, previously before Gomez. There are a few hints in the songs that have fans swirling over who the songs could be about.
The first song on the album is titled, “Call Out My Name.” Many fans speculate that this was written about Selena Gomez.For example: “I said I didn’t feel nothing baby, but I lied/I almost cut a piece of myself for your life/Guess I was just another pit stop/Til’ you made up your mind/You just wasted my time/You’re on top,” he sang.” In this set of lyrics, The Weekend mentions cutting a piece of himself for their life. Fans believe this is directed at Selena Gomez because last year, she needed a kidney transplant due to complications with lupus. While yes, he does mention cutting a part of himself for this person, to speculate that of all things he is cutting out his kidney is a little far-fetched.
In “Wasted Times,” he talks about an “equestrian girl,” who is speculated to be Bella Hadid. Hadid was an avid horse rider but had to give up her chances of competing in the Olympics in 2016 because of complications with Lyme disease. This is more of a “conspiracy theory” than a speculation. Its a reach to say that the only girl hes dated who is interested in equestrian is Bella Hadid. This goes back to the point that we try to learn everything about their lives, and we think we know but there is always the side we never will.
I actually really like this album, whoever this is album is about broke this man’s heart. This album is heart wrenchingly beautiful, and shows the range and the depth the Weekend can go.
Another artist that is under constant speculation for their songs is Taylor Swift. Swift is known for putting her exes on blast in her songs. Swift is also known for singing about her feuds in a not so private way. Most noteably, her problems with Kanye West that stem from the Video Music Awards in 2009. More recently to add to that, her added beef with Kanye and his wife, Kim Kardashian. In her most recent album, “Reputation”, she sings a lot about how because of the people who criticize her, her reputation is ruined. This album is completely different from her previous ones and shows a brand-new side of Taylor that fans did not see. Even though Taylor does not make it as hard as the Weekend, the audience still wants to decipher every word on her album to see who it could be about.
Taylor Swift is the queen of relationships that have not worked out. She is well versed on how to end a relationship, and come out with a hit single. But, why are we so obsessed with who she is dating? Every time there is speculation, the media, and people on the Internet swear that they do not care but then they end up trying to crack the code. Why? What benefit do we get out of it? Is it more a sense of self -gratification that we figured it out, or is it that we feel as if we have a right to know? Spin.com did a definitive list of all the exes Taylor Swift has that have become songs.
In Taylor Swift's song “Look What You Made Me Do,” many speculate that this song is about the Kanye West drama. The infamous scene where Swift is accepting her MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, and a disorderly Kanye comes on stage, takes the mic and says Taylor did not deserve the award, and that Beyonce did. Flashforward to Kanye’s song “Famous.” In the lyrics to the song, he says he made Taylor Swift famous because of the incident at the VMAs. From this stemmed some more drama with her and Kaye and Kim. “Look What You Made Me Do” is her response to all the drama that has she has been a part of since 2009. “I don’t like your little games/ I don’t like your tilted stage,” The role you made me play: of the fool/ No, I don’t like you.” Later, she sings, “The world moves on / Another day another drama, drama / But not for me, Not for me / All I think about is karma.” Her line “the roll you made me play: of the fool…” refers to her looking bad at the VMA and looking bad in the “Famous song.” While this is probably true, I think Taylor Swift showed the side of her that is not going to back down, and will not back down without a fight.
Both the Weekend, and Taylor Swift use their talent and music to express their feelings and opinions. We as an audience, feel a connection and a relationship with these artists, and want to know everything we can about them. We look to their music for the inside scoop on their lives, something their social media pages cannot give us. Their music is their connection with the audience and the audience takes that chance to decode and investigate what more is going on in their already private lives.
