Ariana Grande wants to talk dirty, but “Love Language” is a lyrical trainwreck of Givenchy metaphors, therapy buzzwords, and mush-mouthed babytalk. If this is empowerment, I want a refund.
#ArianaGrande #LoveLanguage #PopCriticism #LyricalAnalysis #MusicReview #PopCulture #Songwriting #SexPositivity #Satire #Givenchyhttps://songreading.wordpress.com/2025/01/25/love-language/
Mouthful of Denim: On Ariana Grande’s ‘Love Language’
If this is what “Love Language” (2020) sounds like, then love isn’t just blind—it’s illiterate. Lyrics like “I’m unlearnin’ what ain’t right” read like something Ralph Wiggum migh…
“Killer Queen” is about a high-class call girl. Katy Perry based her persona, perfume, and empowerment anthem on it—without catching the subtext. This isn’t just irony. It’s industrial-grade obliviousness.
#KatyPerry #PopCriticism #SubtextIsDead #SwishSwish #Queerbaiting #CulturalCritique https://songreading.wordpress.com/2025/07/31/katy-perrys-swish-swish-killer-queen-clueless-pop-star/
Katy Perry’s ‘Swish Swish’: Killer Queen, Clueless Pop Star
In “Swish Swish” (2017), Katy Perry calls herself “a courtside killer queen.” “Killer Queen” is the name of one of the perfumes that Perry shills and the Queen song that inspired her to pursue show…
Ashley Tisdale’s “Tell Me Lies” isn’t just a weak track—it’s a case study in pop regression. While Depeche Mode, Shaggy, and Megadeth play with lies as moral dilemmas or satire, Tisdale asks to be spoon-fed delusion. Escapism isn’t always art. Sometimes, it’s just avoidance.
#PopCriticism #AshleyTisdale #GuiltyPleasure #DepecheMode #Shaggy #Megadeth #MusicEssay #FemininePop #Escapism #MLACore #TellMeLies #PopCultureAnalysishttps://songreading.wordpress.com/2025/01/23/tell-me-lies/
The Truth Hurts, So She Avoids It: Emotional Dependence in Ashley Tisdale’s ‘Tell Me Lies’
Ashley Tisdale’s “Tell Me Lies” (2009) joins a long line of songs that treat deception as central to romance, including Depeche Mode’s “Policy of Truth,” Megadeth’s “Almost Honest,” Bon Jovi’s “Lie…
Jennette McCurdy gave us raw honesty in I'm Glad My Mom Died — too bad her music career forced her into hollow, Hallmark anthems like “Generation Love.” A breakdown of pop industry fakery, clunky lyrics, and why McCurdy deserved better.
#PopCriticism #JennetteMcCurdy #ICarly #GenerationLove #MusicIndustry #PopCulture #SabrinaCarpenter #PopAnalysis https://songreading.wordpress.com/2024/11/22/generation-love/
Jennette McCurdy’s Generation Love: I’m Glad Your Singing Career Died
I know that Jennette McCurdy disowned her acting past with good reason, but I still wish she had channeled some of her iCarly character into her singing. Or, for that matter, some of herself. Where…
Our Love Sleeps with the Fishes: Dissecting Bridgit Mendler’s Undersea Eulogy
When I see the words Our Love Sleeps with the Fishes at the start of Bridgit Mendler’s “Atlantis” music video, I can’t help but think of Troy McClure’s “romantic abnormality” — yo…
Erin Kirby’s “Boys These Days” wants to update Paula Cole’s “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” but fails to deliver the same specificity and emotional depth. Our full breakdown on what’s missing (besides cowboys):
#MusicAnalysis #PopCriticism #ErinKirby #PaulaCole #CowboyPop #Songwriting #NarrativePop #TikTokPophttps://songreading.wordpress.com/2024/10/25/boys-these-days/
Charming, Vague, and Gone: Erin Kirby’s “Boys These Days” vs. Paula Cole’s Cowboys
Erin Kirby has complaints about “Boys These Days,” but if we’re being honest, they don’t seem all that bad — at least not compared to the emotionally absent cowboys of the late ’90s. Meanwhile, fem…
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