The other day, I was scrolling through my 2010’s throwback playlist, and I was feeling in an extra critical mood. The justification for this could have been that I had just finished up another round of back-to-back English literature seminars but for some reason, each song I hit play on, left a certain distaste within me. I couldn’t help myself from thinking anything but: “Wow – that’s so 2010s!”
Don’t get me wrong – I love a good throwback song just as much as the next person (if you’re reading this thinking ‘‘that could never be me!’’ – stop lying to yourself. Admit that Taio Cruz will dominate your Spotify-wrapped later this year…).
The songs of this era are enwrapped in a certain nostalgia that nothing else could replicate. Put on Usher’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love”, and suddenly I’m back in 2010, bopping away to the song in my bedroom, with my (very dodgy) dance moves that I learnt in my after-school hip-hop class.
However, while the songs from this era are classified as ‘‘certified bops’’ nowadays, there is no way that they would have performed just as well in the charts of today. And I’m not even talking about the outdated music genre or composition – I’m referring to the songwriting involved. Anyone who, back in the day, preferred JLS to One Direction (a rare breed of us that exist, I know) will remember songs such as “Hottest Girl in the World” and “She Makes Me Wanna” (oh oh oh)! Even if you are not familiar with these songs, these titles are enough to demonstrate just how questionable they would be if they had been released in 2023 instead.
One quote that remains rooted in my mind is by literary scholars (yes, I’m still in my critical analysis mood, if you couldn’t tell), Donald L Mosher and Tomkins Silvan S., who write that the “act of assignment to the male or female sex tends to bias the socialization of affects into gender scripts, that separate and stratify men and women through the human emotions to create the ideologically desired gender-stereotypic contrasts of masculine and feminine.” Music in the 2010s lived off this gender script. And it’s only by comparing songs popular from that period to the ones that are topping the mainstream charts today, that we can see how there has been a progressive shift in how we now define these gender constructs of masculinity and femininity.
The late noughties and early 2010s had a very dominant gender stereotype; women would sing about men breaking their hearts and showcase their vulnerability. This portrayed an image that the male had all of the “power” in the relationship. On the other hand, men would cover up their vulnerability, with their “romantic” songs sharing a common theme of the sexualisation of women.
From the female lens, pop hits such as “Only Girl in the World” by Rhianna and “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen are the essence of female vulnerability stereotyped in these songs. Imagine if a male, sang Rihanna’s track and it became “Only Guy in the World.” It’s unfathomable… right?
It’s so unfathomable because the stereotypes from these songs have become ingrained in us. When it comes to romantic love in songwriting, women sing about being emotional towards men, while men cannot show their vulnerable sides.
Tracks such as Bieber’s 2009 “One Less Lonely Girl” continue to tap into these stereotypical views of women’s vulnerability. Bieber sings, “I’ll show you what you’re worth/ If you let me inside your world/ There’s gonna be one less lonely girl.”
Meanwhile, the examples of songs where men sing about their sexual desires are countless. Take, for example, Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty”, “Been around the world, don’t speak the language / But your booty don’t need explaining / All I really need to understand is / When you talk dirty to me.” Male artists often acted as if they were singing about their love towards their partner. But in reality, they’re objectifying women. Another example is the controversial ‘‘Blurred Lines’’ by Robin Thicke – but don’t even get me started on that song (if you can even call that piece of misogyny a song…). Thicke sings, “Okay, now he was close / Tried to domesticate ya / But you’re an animal / Baby, it’s in your nature.”
So, what about now? These stereotypes can still be seen in pop music today. However, it’s not as straightforward as it once was. Artists tend to not stick to boundaries that would have confined them previously. There’s much more fluidity in songwriting. Songs such as Miley Cryus’ sensational track “Flowers” earlier this year, hit back at these stereotypes. But of course, the theme of female empowerment in songs has increased since the early 2010’s from Beyoncé’s 2011 “Run the World (Girls)” to Ariana Grande’s 2018 “God is a Woman”.
It’s been a longer journey for male artists to debunk their “masculine egos”, to showcase the vulnerable side of their emotions. Artists such as Chris Brown still release raunchy tracks where there is little disparity between steamy and misogyny. On the other hand, Harry Styles who is dominating the charts currently, represents a progressive shift in attitude for male artists today. Styles shows there’s more to write about than one fixed topic. Speaking on this, Styles noted: “There’s so much masculinity in being vulnerable and allowing yourself to be feminine.” This variety in his songwriting is visible from his tracks such as “Watermelon Sugar”, showcasing sexual desire, to songs such as “Sign of The Times” and “Fine Line” showcasing a more vulnerable and mature side to the hit-maker. He taps into this side of himself and illustrates that it’s not a weak quality. Instead, it makes him a stronger songwriter. It seems that these songs that flip the gender script are the songs that perform better in today’s charts.
That’s why we need artists like Styles, who will hopefully evoke a whole new generation of male artists to follow in his path, to allow their vulnerability into their songwriting and to debunk this so-called “male ego”.
Of course, you could just say that “that English student is just being a typical English student – overly analytical.” In fact, you might say that music is supposed to be enjoyed simply for its beat, for something that has a catchy tune alongside it. And maybe you have a point. However, what happens when songs that sexualise women and turn them into objects gain traction? What happens when songs that belittle women instead of empowering them, chart well and become consumed by the public? People idolise these artists and that’s when issues arise. It’s no longer just a catchy tune. These songs take on a whole new power of their own.
Maybe, ten years down the line, someone will write an article on the music from the 2020s, and examine how the stereotypes in songwriting have evolved even further than now. Hopefully, we’re only at the beginning of the journey of rewriting society’s gender script.
WORDS: Emma Rouine
