Meaning has always been important to me. Without meaning is there purpose in any actions or statements made. For me media needs meaning to communicate with an outside audience. As stated in Communication, Cultural and Media Studies meaning is “the outcome of communication, and therefore is an object to study” (Hartley, Montgomery, Rennie & Brennan, 2004). The location however of this meaning has changed over time periods. In pre-modern times meaning was divine idea fixed from God (Hartley, Montgomery, Rennie & Brennan, 2004). In modern texts though the media was exactly as seen however, in postmodern times meaning is now located in the audience, it means whatever someone says it means (Hartley, Montgomery, Rennie & Brennan, 2004).
An idea suggested by Marshall (1976) was that meaning becomes the product of culture because being produced, circulated and reproduced within that community (Hartley, Montgomery, Rennie & Brennan, 2004). Meaning has become a critical part of music in postmodern times. Merlin Donald (1991) coined the term mimesis as the ability to act, dance and sing out a narrative of experiences and feelings (Pavlicevic & Trevarthen, 2005). The human ability to understand each other’s mimesis has developed over time, this is why for modern humans, music always carries meaning beneath and beyond language (Pavlicevic & Trevarthen, 2005).
For example, the song “WHY” by NF is an introspective track reflecting on the artist in a self-loathing way (Genius, 2018).
NF raps about being successful while battling self-doubt after his third album “Perception” was number one on the Billboard Hot 200 and the title tack “Let You Down” was number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 (Genius, 2018). This is shown in the first clearly distinguishable line “What’s your definition of success?”. He continues this criticism in further lines of his own success in the lines “I just made a couple mil', still not impressed; Let You Down goes triple platinum, yeah, okay, okay, I guess”. NF also uses a flow that is different to his usual work by borrowing Big Sean’s from the track “Bounce Back” for most of the track (Genius, 2018).
This rhythm changed and is stripped back compared to NF’s style which helps the lyrics become spotlighted in comparison. NF has stated in an interview in 2017 that he is a perfectionist due to his childhood and his desire to be heard and uses his pain to help others (Genius, 2018). This is shown in the lines “I could be working for twenty-four hours a day and think I never did enough” and “Write somethin' then I might erase it; I love it, then I really hate it”. The song ends the same way it starts with the line “too many voices” being repeated in a whispered tone assessing the fruit of his faith (Genius, 2018). NF has stated that he is a Christian and has previously rapped with reference of this however clearly states he is not a Christian rapper which is reflected in the assessing of his fruits which is a common symbol in the Bible (Genius, 2018). Throughout the song he uses creative reflection as he feels disconnected to his own self through the phrases “this isn’t Nate’s flow” and “What’s the problem Nathan? I don’t know”. By this use of his real name he completely breaks character and shows a broken façade through referencing himself in third person. At the same time NF states his hate for showing vulnerability shown in the following stanza “I push away the people that I love the most; why?; I don't want no one to know I'm vulnerable; why?; That makes me feel weak and so uncomfortable; why?”. The last idea shown scattered in the song is self-sacrificial actions NF does to himself through several lines,
“I don't trust the thoughts that come inside my head; I don't trust this thing that beats inside my chest; Who I am and who I wanna be cannot connect”, “I wanna be great but I get in the way of myself and I think about everything that I could never be; Why do I do it though?” and “I know I like to preach to always be yourself; But my emotions make me feel like I am someone else; Me and pride had made a pact that we don't need no help; Which feels like I'm at war inside myself but I forgot the shells”. NF song clearly shows that multiple meanings can be intertwined in one song.
As an Audio student this is important to me because it reminds me that even if a work is deemed simple by technical standards it can be impactful. It reminds me that I need to see the overall image and that sometimes it’s not the details that are important but the simple expression of the art. Meaning for me will always be more important than the musicality of a song and continues to be the main factor of whether I continue to listen to this invisible media.
Sources:
360 Magazine. (2017). Perception Album Cover [Image]. Retrieved from https://the360mag.com/nf-announces-new-album-perception/
Genius, 20 June 2018, “NF’s “WHY” Explained |Song Stories” [video file] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giAaSTdIKz0
Hartley, J., Montgomery, M., Rennie, E., & Brennan, M. (2004). Communication, Cultural and
Iris, B. (2017). Let You Down Quote [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/730849845752216912/
Media Studies (3rd ed., p. 140). [London]: Taylor & Francis e-library
NF Facebook. (2017). NF [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/nfrealmusic/photos/d41d8cd9/1674564499232376/
NFrealmusic, 17 June 2018, “NF – WHY” [video file] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuJV-DAv_wE
Odyssey. (2016). Create Meaning [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/finding-meaning-rap-song
Pavlicevic, M., & Trevarthen, C. (2005). Music Therapy in Context: Music, Meaning and Relationship (p. xii). London: Jesica Kingsly.
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