2021 Media Review – Music

I listened to the top 10 songs from Spotify and the Billboard charts for 2021. Were they catchy? Sure. Well produced? Absolutely! Soul destroying, hopeless, depressing, self-destructive, nihilistic cringe crap? Yes to almost all of them across the board. After spending a morning listening to what the majority of adults, teens and children were listening to this past year, it’s no wonder so many people felt lost and empty last year. We’re not pulling any punches as we look at the common messages in the top songs of 2021!

The Spotify top 10 songs for 2021 were:

1. Driver’s license- Olivia rodrigo

2. Montero (call me by your name) - lil nas x

3. Stay - The Kid LAROI feat. Justin Bieber

4. Good 4 u - Olivia rodrigo

5. Levitating - Dua Lipa feat. Da Baby

6. Peaches - Justin Bieber Feat. Daniel Caesar, Giveon

7. Kiss Me More - Doja Cat feat. SZA

8. Blinding Lights - The Weekend

9. Heat Waves - Glass Animals

10. Beggin’ - Måneskin

The Billboard Chart had many of the same songs in a slightly different order with just a couple of differences:

1. Levitating - Dua Lipa Feat. Da Baby

2. Save Your Tears - The Weekend Feat. Ariana Grande

3. Blinding Lights - The Weekend

4. Mood - 24kGoldn feat. Iann Dior

5. Good 4 U - Olivia Rodrigo

6. Kiss Me More - Doja Cat Feat. SZA

7. Leave The Door Open - Silk Sonic

8. Driver’s License - Olivia Rodrigo

9. Montero (Call Me By Your Name) - Lil Nas X

10. Peaches - Justin Bieber Feat. Daniel Caesar and Giveon

So, aside from great production and catchy hooks, what do these songs have in common? What were some of the consistent themes and messages?

First, every single song on both lists is about a romantic relationship. That isn’t surprising. Some of them are describing the very first stages of attraction, such as seeing someone that you would want to be with and asking them to dance, like Levitating, while many of the others are describing the break up or after with all of the pain, drama and emotion that comes with it. Olivia Rodrigo, a break out star from last year, had two songs on both charts, even snagging the number one position on spotify with Driver’s License. Both of her songs take place after a break up and describe how emotionally and potentially even mentally unwell these relationships have left her. While Good 4 U gives glimpses of pain, anger and frustration in response to seeing that her former partner has apparently moved on just fine without her, Driver’s License gives a much more raw and intimate portrayal of the hole left in her life after the relationship has ended. She talks about the insecurity she had while in the relationship saying,

“And you're probably with that blonde girl Who always made me doubt She's so much older than me She's everything I'm insecure about"

The bridge of the song describes how all of the places they had been and things they did together now remind her of him. She knows they weren’t perfect but even after he’s gone, she still loves him.

Another common theme we saw in the top songs from 2021 was drug use. At least 6 of the 12 songs on the 2 top ten lists included references or outright endorsements for the recreational use of drugs, including hard drugs, as part of the romantic pursuit or a luxurious lifestyle. So, here’s our question: If the lifestyle is so luxurious, if the sex is so great, if the relationships are healthy... then why would drugs be needed? What’s missing? The performers may hide behind the defense of artistic license as they write and sing these songs glorifying every conceivable aspect of self-destructive behavior but they expose themselves in the breakup songs as they croon about how numb, hopeless and empty they are left after the romance is over.

I will give props to one song for its honesty. In the song, “Mood”, 24kGoldn says it like it is.

“We play games of love to avoid the depression We been here before And I won't be your victim”

These simple lines show us the truth behind the lifestyles that are being sold to us through the most popular songs and the most influential artists out there today. The truth is that many of us aren’t even pursuing love anymore, we’re just trying to elude the emptiness. We’re asking for Novocain when what we need is open heart surgery. Depression is not the normal state of humanity. Romantic relationships are not meant to be a disposable means of getting a quick fix, using them up and then moving on to the next person. Maybe, as a society, we should stop elevating the lowest common denominator and instead strive for something better. Yes, it’s easy to listen to these super catchy songs because they keep coming to the top of your feed and because you keep listening, they’ll keep making them and giving you more and more of the things you apparently are wanting. But, there are really good artists out there with really good messages that are trying to create something worthwhile and possibly even have a positive impact in your life. They’re not getting pushed to the top of your feed and you’re not going to find them unless you decide to stop being satisfied with the easily accessible junk and instead do the work to find something worthwhile. Now, rewind this video and listen to that whole last paragraph again because you probably missed the part where our music consumption was just a thinly veiled metaphor for our romantic relationships and life in general.

Be sure to join us back on the last Thursday of the month for our live podcast where we will actually share with you some of our picks for 2021 songs that slap and aren’t morally bankrupt and devoid of hope and love. If this was your first time with us, thanks for watching! If you’ve been with us for a while and noticed a bit of a tonal shift in our first video of the year, well, you can expect a lot more where this came from in 2022. Moving forward, we’re not holding anything back so buckle up and hang on!