Royals’ by Lorde reflects the divergent cultural values between popular music and the individual. Lorde recognises the accumulating trend for artists to promote a lifestyle of excess consumption. Her themes relate the shift of popular culture to valorise wealth, power and hedonistic behaviour. Effective use of imagery highlights the disparity of the personal experience and the lifestyle expressed in Hip-Hop and Rap. This essay will thus explore how Royals reflects the representation of materialism in popular music.
‘Royals’ highlights the trend in popular culture to valorise materialism and hedonistic behaviour. Consumption, regrading expensive clothing, cars and jewellery, is linked closely to celebrity status (Griffith et al. 2014). In American society, …show more content…
2014). Its evolution is born from a societal shift to valorise the ‘celebrity’ image (Suddreth 2009). Particularly this affords prominent public figures as signifiers of wealth and status (Griffith et al. 2014). Green et al. (2014) remark that celebrities promote conspicuous consumption and a lifestyle of excess. Artists within popular music categories accordingly demonstrate practices associated with an ‘opulent’ lifestyle (Weiner 2014). This is most evident in Hip-Hop and Rap music. It is to the extent that both promote a fundamental message of materialism (Suddreth 2009). Young celebrities and Hip-Hop artists motivate ‘overtly garish display of conspicuous consumption’ (Podoshen et al. 2014, 271). The lyrics of Royals highlight the recurrent branding in ‘songs’ as a notion of success, referencing ‘Grey Goose…Cristal [and] Maybach’ (Yelich-O'Connor 2012). Branding thus develops as a social phenomenon with the utility of motivating extravagant displays of wealth (Sun et
‘Royals’ highlights the trend in popular culture to valorise materialism and hedonistic behaviour. Consumption, regrading expensive clothing, cars and jewellery, is linked closely to celebrity status (Griffith et al. 2014). In American society, …show more content…
2014). Its evolution is born from a societal shift to valorise the ‘celebrity’ image (Suddreth 2009). Particularly this affords prominent public figures as signifiers of wealth and status (Griffith et al. 2014). Green et al. (2014) remark that celebrities promote conspicuous consumption and a lifestyle of excess. Artists within popular music categories accordingly demonstrate practices associated with an ‘opulent’ lifestyle (Weiner 2014). This is most evident in Hip-Hop and Rap music. It is to the extent that both promote a fundamental message of materialism (Suddreth 2009). Young celebrities and Hip-Hop artists motivate ‘overtly garish display of conspicuous consumption’ (Podoshen et al. 2014, 271). The lyrics of Royals highlight the recurrent branding in ‘songs’ as a notion of success, referencing ‘Grey Goose…Cristal [and] Maybach’ (Yelich-O'Connor 2012). Branding thus develops as a social phenomenon with the utility of motivating extravagant displays of wealth (Sun et