I'm Clifford Stumme, and I use literary analysis and research to explain the deeper meanings of pop songs. Feel free to leave a comment or to email me at clifford@popsongprofessor.com with questions or ideas!
Hey! Be sure to check out my most recent podcast about what "Can't Feel My Face" by The Weeknd means! The meaning of this song may surprise you, and it definitely isn't about what it sounds like. Enjoy!
After Demi Lovato put out "Cool for the Summer" last year, we knew that she was up to something. She's twenty-three now, and she began as a child star on the Barney & Friends television show and quickly moved onto the Disney channel. But if you've read my explanation of "Cool for the Summer," you know she's not one to be kid-friendly or to uphold "traditional" values.
Rihanna released "Sledgehammer" for the soundtrack of Star Trek Beyond in 2016. Musically, the song is intense but understated. The lyrics though are interesting with enough of a well-defined premise to work for a pop song. There does not seem to be anything exceptionally interesting about "Sledgehammer" on its own, but Rihanna is a strong singer, and she makes the song an enjoyable listen.
It's time to ask difficult questions about what's art and what's not. There are some songs that mean something deeper, and there are those that help us to have a good time. How do we tell the difference? Be sure to listen on this week's episode of the Pop Song Professor Podcast!
There have been many debates on what "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots means: witnessing, Orlando, the Skeleton Clique, and more.
But everyone's still confused. Hopefully, this podcast and my theories give you a few pieces of evidence to continue your search for what this song truly means.
I explained the meaning of Twenty One Pilots's new single "Heathens." My argument was that it addressed new fans of the band, telling them to be careful around members of the Skeleton Clique (Twenty One Pilots's VERY enthusiastic fanbase). I thought Tyler Joseph, the lead singer and songwriter for the band, was maybe even telling people to be careful about being judgmental towards those they didn't understand.
Bastille released "Good Grief" on June 17th, and I have to admit that while I've heard (and liked) several of their songs I'm not as up on them as some you readers might be. Therefore, if I miss something, please let me (and other readers) know in the comments below. We'll work on this together.
It's (basically) a rule that Twenty One Pilots doesn't write in the same genre twice. And we can definitely hear that here with "Heathens." The song is part grunge, maybe part R&B, and part pop. It reminds me of "Fairly Local" more than any other song by them, but even then it's iffy. You can listen if you like and let me know what you think (unless the leaked location I've been listening to has already been removed). Alternatively, I recommend searching for it on Twitter; there seem to be many uploads of the song there.
New podcast live! Enjoy this explanation of Mike Posner's "I Took a Pill in Ibiza." I think you guys will love this song (if you don't already), and I know I did.
The songs about fame, drugs, money, and more. "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" is an incredibly deep song (especially for a pop song), and it's also going to make you fall in love with EDM even more.
Listening to this song has been a weird experience for me. I know there's not much in it as far as lyrical depth goes (there's not supposed to be), but the music is super fun. It sounds perfect for dancing, and I can't stop pressing the "play" button as soon as it finishes. I guess for an artist as famous and tried-and-true as Usher (who released "OMG" and "Yeah!), "Crash" being really good is no surprise. He just released "Crash" as a single from his upcoming album Flawed, and I'm sure we have a bit more of this smooth, R&B sweet-talking coming our way.
Switchfoot just released this song a few hours ago, so there's literally no one else on the Internet explaining it at the moment. That means I'll be explaining this song without any help except for what is in the song and what I can find on Switchfoot's website (not much).
Nick Jonas released "Bacon" featuring Ty Dolla $ign on June 3rd, 2016 as part of his upcoming album "Last Year Was Complicated." It's probably going to be/was a pop hit, but nobody actually gets what it's about. People who don't listen closely think that Jonas is saying he likes bacon better than his ex, but that's not the case.
DNCE (headed up by Joe Jonas) was formed last year, but the single the band released is still holding steady at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Cake by the Ocean" is an infectious dance anthem written by Justin Tranter and DNCE. But the song doesn't have the most normal origin story. Apparently it was created after two European producers (Mattman and Robin) mistranslated the name of a cocktail called "Sex on the Beach" as "Cake by the Ocean." The band heard the mistranslation and had the song written within ten minutes.
Twenty One Pilots fans are divided on two questions: Is Twenty One Pilots a Christian band?
Does it matter?
In my most recent podcast, I answer both of these questions, and I think what I have to say and the songs we talk about will surprise you and give you a lot to think about.
Red Hot Chili Peppers just released the next single from their upcoming album The Getaway which will be released on June 17, 2016. Musically, "The Getaway" is slow, methodical, and hypnotic. It sounds like something that Coldplay would put out, and it's quite catchy.
"Kitchen Sink" is an awesome song. I love just about anything that Twenty One Pilots puts out, and this song from a while back is not an exception. Take a listen to the song and then check out the song itself and then listen to my explanation of what a "Kitchen Sink" is. Be warned that that is a mystery you're not going to figure out without a little help or some research. I know needed to ask for help with this one.
It definitely seems like Coldplay's taking a satirical jab at Donald Trump's proposed "giant wall" between the United States and Mexico.
OneRepublic is definitely changing things up with this single. According to an interview reported by Idolator.com, the lead singer, Ryan Tedder says, "It's not indicative of the entire album but it's kind of like if you go have dinner, you don't order steak for an appetizer and steak for dinner, you split it up, and you have different things, so the first single is – it's definitely an appetizer, I think it's the best appetizer we could come up with."
