Pick 10 songs with lyrics that pertain to gender. Carefully consider the lyrics, and answer the following questions:
1. What messages about gender can you identify in the songs?
2. Describe the ways women and men are represented, giving specific lyrics as examples.
3. Do you think men and women are portrayed in positive or negative ways?
4. What kinds of masculinity and femininity are portrayed?
5. Do any of the songs inspire you? Challenge you? Offend you? Explain your answers!
Cite specific lyrics when answering these questions. You are not limited to these questions; they will get you going on your paper, but be creative in your analysis of the songs and see if you can incorporate pertinent points from the readings into your analysis.
Below are examples of songs in case you need help getting started. You can use up to five songs from this list if you want, but at least five songs must be ones you find on your own. They can be from any period and genre. Billboard allows you to easily search for relevant songs:
• Kip Moore, “More Girls Like You”
• Easton Corbin, “A Girl Like You”
• Nicki Minaj, “Anaconda”
• Daya, “Sit Still, Look Pretty”
• Ariana Grande, “Dangerous Woman”
• Ariana Grande, “Positions”
• Aretha Franklin, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
• Salt-N-Pepa, “Whatta Man”
• Lizzo, “My Skin”
• Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé, “Savage.”
• Lil Nas X, “C7osure”
• Troye Sivan, “Bloom”
• Harry Styles, “To Be So Lonely”
• Billie Eilish, “Therefore I Am”
• Megan Thee Stallion, “Body”
Paper Format
When writing your paper, please follow the format below:
1. Write an introduction that includes the definition of gender and non-material culture (music). Tell the reader what to expect in your project and why you chose the songs that you chose.
2. Write a paragraph for each question below (5 questions). Remember to include song lyrics to prove your points. Use course materials and reference them.
3. Conclusion: what is the main takeaway? What did you learn from this project?