Music is described as an art form that consists of sequences of sound in time, especially the tones of definite pitch organized melodically, rhythmically, and harmonically and according to the tone color. Such an art form characteristic of particular people, culture or tradition. Music also gives people various identities according to the genre and the message of the song. Sociologist defines identity as the collective aspect of the set characteristics by which a thing or a person is definitively recognizable or known. When people listen to music, it identifies them sociologically, culturally or politically.

The first song belongs to Colbie Caillat, an American singer based in California. The song is known as “Try”. Vocalist Colbie Caillat emerged swiftly from an aspiring R&B singer to a pop sensation by the age of 21 years. In this song “Try,” she advises women to make themselves look beautiful in all aspects. In Korea, the culture requires women to do anything that can make them look attractive (Furman 45). They want to remain young and beautiful. This cultural aspect of Korean women has made women spend much money in the cosmetic industry purchasing beauty products. Women who look attractive to their men are respected and loved.

Colbie Caillat in her song “Try” tells women to put on their make up, get their nails done, curl their hair and to run an extra mile so that they can keep their body slim. In the song lyrics, she goes on to advise them not to be shy to put on sexy clothes so that men can like or admire them. She tells them to visit shopping malls to purchase expensive clothes and other beauty products so that they can look attractive. Later, in the song she advises them not to try so hard so that they can look attractive. Colbie Caillat in this song gives cultural identity to Korean women. She reinforces the cultural demand that Korean women should try harder to look attractive and beautiful (Furman 45). Women identify

The other song “Human” was sung by Christina Perri, an American singer born in Pennsylvania. She says that music has been her everything since day one. It has been her shoulder to cry on, her rock, and her best friend. She continuesKorea (Connell and Chris 120). this instruct them to do. Children, on the other hand, love their parents and want to be like them when they grow up. This love makes children engage in behaviors that make their parents happy. The Love of any kind is highly appreciated in this country. Koreans believe that they can do everything to express love.

In the lyrics of this song “Human” of Christina Perri, she describes the things she can do to show love only that she is limited by her human nature. She says that she can hold her breath, bite her tongue and stay away for days if it can make herselfShe says that she can do all this, but she is only human, and she bleeds when she falls. She points out that people put words in her head, knives in her heart, build her up, but she ends up falling because she is human. She says that she can turn it on, be a good machine, and hold also says that she can take so much until she had enough, but she falls and crash because she is only human. In this song, Christina describes all what she can do because of love, but limits her. That’s why she says she bleeds when she fall, crash and breakdown because she is human. She identifies the social aspect of love (Connell and Chris 121). People who listen to this song will identify with love that is an important social aspect.

The other song “Political Games” was sung by Lucky Dube, a South African Reggae musician. Most of his reggae lyrics were social messages aimed at the struggle of the black man while still maintaining a commercial sound. Lucky produced many songs before his death on October 18, 2007. Political identity plays a vital role in the governance of a particular country (Kellner 236). In this song, Lucky asks politicians how they feel when they lie straight faced while people cry. He asks them how they feel when they promise something they know they will never do. They give false hope to the underprivileged. He asks them whether they get to sleep when they recall these lies. They know that they are living a lie and to them it’s a job. But to the people it hurts to the bone.

He asks them what they say to the orphans of the women and men they send to war. What do you tell the widows of the men you send to war? You tell them that it’s good for the country when you know that it’s good for your ego. Lucky pointed out that this was a shame. You give false hope to the infected and the affected. To them, it’s just a job but to the people it hurts to the bone. In this song, Lucky tries to describe the bad things that politicians do to the very people who put them in power. He says that it’s a shame. He is creating awareness to the people so that they can learn to be careful while electing their leaders. This song carries a strong political message to the citizens (Kellner 239). People who get the message of this song will have a political identity.

References

Connell, John, and Chris Gibson. Sound Tracks: Popular Music Identity and Place. Routledge, 2003.

Furman, Frida. Facing the mirror: Older women and beauty shop culture. Routledge, 2013.

Kellner, Douglas. Media culture: Cultural studies, identity and politics between the modern and the post-modern. Routledge, 2003.