What does "Something Just Like This" by Coldplay and The Chainsmokers mean?

What does "Something Just Like This" by Coldplay and The Chainsmokers mean?

Clifford Stumme
song lyrics blog post, song lyrics meaning

Coldplay and The Chainsmokers are probably one of the more unlikely collaborations we'll see this year in music, but "Something Just Like This" may be one of the best collabs we'll see. Musically, it's entrancing. It's everything we love about The Chainsmokers' thoughtful and body-moving approach to EDM music with everything we love about the dry, smooth power of Chris Martin's voice. It's really the best of both worlds, and while the group is an unlooked for collaboration, personally, I'll be looking for more songs from these two groups. 

Podcast: Lady Gaga's "Million Reasons," Sincerity as an Artist & Super Bowl Controversy

Podcast: Lady Gaga's "Million Reasons," Sincerity as an Artist & Super Bowl Controversy

Clifford Stumme
song lyrics meaning, podcast

Hey, Everyone! Welcome to this week's episode of the Pop Song Professor podcast. I made this for you about "Million Reasons" by Lady Gaga because I think it's a fantastic song and that she's a fantastic artist with an interesting perspective on sincerity as an artist and as a person. This podcast goes over who she is, "Million Reasons," the music video thereof, and a little bit of the Super Bowl controversy caused by body shamers.

What does "Chained to the Rhythm" by Katy Perry mean?

What does "Chained to the Rhythm" by Katy Perry mean?

Clifford Stumme
song lyrics blog post, song lyrics meaning

I've always been a bigger fan of Katy Perry's sound than of her lyrics, and I think that sometimes pop stars put their music above their lyrics. In fact, they may do that most of the time. After all, when you think of pop music, do you think of dancing and good times, or do you think of careful consideration of abstract concepts? Well, since you're here on my site, maybe you're one of the few who would say the latter.

Podcast: HeavyDirtySoul by TOP: Lyrics AND Music Video!

Podcast: HeavyDirtySoul by TOP: Lyrics AND Music Video!

Clifford Stumme
podcast, song lyrics meaning

So, today's episode was a little different. You'll notice that I didn't input the song for the lyrics, and there're a lot of references to the fact that I recorded this live on Facebook! It was a super fun experiment, and I may do it again. I worry that my podcast listeners are the ones who will suffer, but we'll see. Let me know what you think about and whether I should do something differently.

What does "Believer" by Imagine Dragons mean?

What does "Believer" by Imagine Dragons mean?

Clifford Stumme
song lyrics meaning, song lyrics blog post

Imagine Dragons has always been one of my favorite bands, and they've released something beautiful in "Believer." The song was released just a few days before the writing of this post, and I've already explained it on my YouTube channel, but I thought it deserved a little bit of a longer look. This song has something deep to say, and it's reminiscent of "Sucker for Pain"--a song that Imagine Dragons collaborated on for the Suicide Squad movie.

What does "Castle on the Hill" by Ed Sheeran mean?

What does "Castle on the Hill" by Ed Sheeran mean?

Clifford Stumme
song lyrics blog post, song lyrics meaning

I was going to explain "Run Up" by Major Lazer, but got a few paragraphs in and realized that I needed something a little bit more substantial to write a full blog post about it at the 2AM time that I'm writing right now. That being said, "Castle on the Hill" by Ed Sheeran was the perfect alternative. I enjoy the music he puts out, and I'm excited for the rest of the Divide album to come out. I've already explained "Shape of You" on this blog and "Castle on the Hill" on my YouTube channel, and I encourage you to check out both of those explanations, the latter of which you can find just below here.

What does "Paris" by The Chainsmokers mean?

What does "Paris" by The Chainsmokers mean?

Clifford Stumme
song lyrics meaning, song lyrics blog post

I think "Paris" by The Chainsmokers is going to be one of the deepest songs I've explained in a while. And I'm honestly surprised. "Closer" was decently deep, but "All We Know" disappointed me. The duo seems to hit and miss as far as depth or insight of lyrics go, but I think "Paris" is a home run of sorts. They refrain from making their song everything a pump-up, dance song could be as far as energy and lyrics go. And instead they slow it down, turn down the dial a little, and focus on what the words are saying. This isn't a requirement for every song by any means, but I'm glad to see the diversity in their songwriting, and am excited to explain "Paris."

What does "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" by ZAYN and Taylor Swift mean?

What does "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" by ZAYN and Taylor Swift mean?

Clifford Stumme
song lyrics blog post, song lyrics meaning

Taylor Swift and ZAYN just dropped their new duet "I Don't Wanna Live Forever." The song's going to be part of the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, and it's intense. The song's musical aspect is smooth and rich and interesting. The lyrics, on the other hand, are very simple and straightforward--they're about a relationship that didn't work out the first time around.

What does "True Colors" by The Weeknd mean?

What does "True Colors" by The Weeknd mean?

Clifford Stumme
the weeknd, song lyrics meaning, song lyrics blog post

"True Colors" is one of my favorite tracks from The Weeknd's album Starboy because it's one of the few that highlights and focuses on a true emotional maturity on the part of The Weeknd. The song is about a lover who has a dark past that The Weeknd feels he needs to hear about from her rather than from someone else. He asks her to explain and does so in an understanding, kind, and empathetic way.

What does "Stargirl Interlude" by The Weeknd ft. Lana Del Rey mean?

What does "Stargirl Interlude" by The Weeknd ft. Lana Del Rey mean?

Clifford Stumme
song lyrics meaning, the weeknd, song lyrics blog post

"Stargirl Interlude" by The Weeknd is the shortest song from the Starboy album and also one of the most artistically creative ones. While other songs from the record come across as braggadocios or shallow, "Stargirl Interlude" somewhat artistically describes a sexual encounter. The song provides some pivotal but not graphic details and further develops the relationship between The Weeknd and the woman that the Starboy album could be about.

What does "Reminder" by The Weeknd mean?

What does "Reminder" by The Weeknd mean?

Clifford Stumme
song lyrics blog post, song lyrics meaning, the weeknd

"Reminder" has to be the most unique on The Weeknd's record Starboy. And that's just lyrically. The music side of the song is similar to other tracks, but while most of the other songs on the record focus on sex or self-definition based on fame, "Reminder" focuses on self-definition in relation to the music industry. It takes a slightly different tact than other songs and certainly contains quite a bit of information that we can use to learn about The Weeknd and his character Starboy.

What does "Six Feet Under" by The Weeknd mean?

What does "Six Feet Under" by The Weeknd mean?

Clifford Stumme
song lyrics blog post, song lyrics meaning, the weeknd

And we continue marching through Starboy by The Weeknd. It's my goal to explain the whole thing, and we'll see if that happens, but we're going to try. In the meantime, "Six Feet Under" is one of the more interesting songs on the Starboy album if you consider that it's one of the only songs that it isn't about him at all. Most of the other songs on the album, The Weeknd uses first person pronouns like "I" or "me." But in "Six Feet Under," he keeps purely to describing a character or person he has in mind.

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