song review essay example

How to Write a Music Review Essay

Hardly anyone on the earth dislikes music. We all have music collections for certain emotions or songs connected to special occasions. But when it comes to composing a music review essay, most seem to be at a loss for words and have no idea where to start.

Typically, the purpose of writing a review is to make an impression. The reader’s perception of the song or album is formed after reading the essay. Therefore, the assessment must be impartial and feasible and provide the most trustworthy facts imaginably. Read on to learn how to write a music review essay.

Your assessment or criticism of a musical work is what a song review essay contains. The paper has an introduction, a major body covering several parts of the music analysis, and a conclusion. It is much like any other piece of academic writing. However, to better understand how to write one, below are several tips to guide you.

Listen to the Music

It would help if you listened through the entire song at least two times before beginning to write a review. When doing so, try to create your opinion on the music. Furthermore, think about the song’s melody and rhythm. Remember, the rhythm and music complete the song’s impression. After giving the piece a few listens, you may assess it critically to comprehend its message.

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It is crucial to consider the song’s music style and the caliber of the production. Remember, it is best to avoid comparing it to the musician’s previous work unless the current song will be notably better or worse than earlier works. Take note of the feelings the song brought up for you and what impressed and upbraided you the most.

Finally, pay attention to the song’s lyrics. Poems make up a significant portion of the music. Therefore, you should pay attention to their meaning and content. Draw attention to the lyric’s beauty, completeness, and value.

Conduct a Background Research

The research comes next after you’ve finished listening. To gather information about the music, you could also try to study articles and reviews written by the artist. You could also listen to and watch their interviews. In a background study, research the song’s history and composition. Don’t forget to establish the connection to current happenings in the globe or the songwriter’s life at the moment as well.

The information gathered will aid in a more thorough examination and understanding of the underlying message. Listeners frequently underestimate the brilliance of a musical piece. It is because they are unaware of the history of its production and the circumstances that led to its conception.

To examine the song lyrics in greater detail, print them out. Find literary devices in the lyrics and analyze how they influence the song’s message and atmosphere. For instance, take note of the symmetry and repetition of harmonious sounds. Following a stressed vowel might give the impression that a line of poetry is harsher to the ear.

Formulate an Outline

As mentioned earlier, a music review essay is similar to other forms of academic writing. Therefore, it follows a particular structure too. The standard essay format demands the paper have an introduction with a thesis statement, a body, and a conclusion. Your review may be three, five, or even more paragraphs depending on the required length.

Remember, creating an outline forms a map you can easily follow when writing the review to ensure you include all the details.

The introduction paragraph may include details about the music as well as numerous phrases about the musician. You can also give some background info, such as describing how the song was composed. Don’t forget to provide a brief thesis statement outlining the subject of your review essay.

Your paper’s main body is entirely devoted to analyzing what you have heard. Each paragraph should contain a central concept, and every sentence that follows should help reinforce it. Here, you can recognize the musical components, composing techniques, and style.

Finally, the conclusion should reaffirm your viewpoint from the thesis statement. You might also briefly discuss the emotions and sentiments that the song elicits and how they affected your assessment.

Write the Draft

When composing your draft, remember to follow the standard grammatical, punctuation, and spelling norms for essays. Furthermore, remember to consider any particular instructions from your instructor.

In the introduction, establish your thesis and quickly describe your critical points of contention. The essay’s body should be devoted to elaborating on its supporting arguments. In the conclusion of your paper, restate your thesis and list the topics you covered.

It is crucial that you evaluate the music as objectively as you can; the caliber of your evaluation should in no way be impacted by your feelings toward the composer or performance. It would be best if you created a review that is as sincere as possible with the audience and avoid focusing solely on positive or negative remarks.

Proofread the Draft and Modify it Where Possible

After writing the draft, it is vital to proofread it while identifying possible mistakes and missing information. Additionally, you can read it aloud or ask others to provide feedback. Most essay writers forget or ignore this part, even those writing music review essays. However, it is one of the most crucial steps.

Remember, proofreading enables you to identify and correct grammatical errors such as spelling and punctuation errors. Furthermore, through a review of your work, you can quickly identify where your assessment is not solid enough. Afterward, you can modify the parts where you feel the essay falls short of your expectations or doesn’t meet specific requirements.

After editing the essay, proofread again to ascertain everything checks out. You can then submit the paper for marking or publishing afterward.

Most music-oriented students and writers find it challenging to write music review essays. They find it hard to describe their emotions and experiences after listening to music. Therefore, learning how to write a music review essay is pretty crucial. However, reading this article helps you with such writing when you face similar difficulties.

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Essay Samples on Song Analysis

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Rhetorical Analysis of a Song: Unveiling the Power of Musical Artistry

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Song Comparison: A Tale of Two Ballad

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Songs That Describe Your Life: A Personal Soundtrack

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Pretty Hurts: Analysis Of Beyonce's Iconic Song

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Best topics on Song Analysis

1. Analysis of the Song ‘Strange Fruit’ by Billie Holiday

2. Rhetorical Analysis of a Song: Unveiling the Power of Musical Artistry

3. Song Comparison: A Tale of Two Ballad

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5. Songs That Describe Your Life: A Personal Soundtrack

6. Pretty Hurts: Analysis Of Beyonce’s Iconic Song

7. Man in the Mirror: Analysis of the Social Issues Brought Up in Michael Jackson’s Song

8. “Me And My Monkey”: Analysis of Robbie Williams’s Song

9. Analysis Of The Chapell’s Newest Album ‘Soul Man’

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[SOLVED!] How to Write a Music Review Essay

Since listening to music is easier than writing music reviews, how to write a music review essay is a question that troubles a lot of music-oriented students. You have a hard time putting what you feel while listening to music into words?  In that case, you should find this article useful.

Music Review Essay

The review of the song about the musical configuration is our judgement or comment. Therefore, you need to make this essay less personal and include all authentic information. Like all other academic writing pieces, an essay includes:

• An introduction.
• A central body dealing with different aspects of music reviews.
• A final thought or conclusion.

7 Tips To Write A Music Review Essay

Keep in mind that when you are going to write a song review, you will convey your thinking about that song to the readers. So, when you are analyzing this music genre, these tips will play a vital role to write an engaging and readable piece.

First of all, you should listen to the song 2-3 times from start to end. As your listening process is going, you should also note down the primary feelings and think about them. After it, think about the introductory and summing parts of the song. On the other hand, you should also try to listen to the music from a critical perspective. The listening source may vary according to your choice.

2- Research Is Important

After completing your listening, the next step is research. You should try to read articles and reviews with the artist to collect evidence about the song as well. In this way, you will know other people’s reviews about it. Moreover, you will also come to learn the precise language to use in music essay writing.

3- Think About Context

In the 3rd step, you should wisely think about the song from the background perspective of its genre. You should also take a look at the background of the artist. The context outlook may be compared with its category, its stick of gum pop like classical type, etc. Either is blurring the line between heavy metal and committed punk.

4- Consider Album Aspects

While writing a musical review essay, you should look at all parts of the album, like how it performs as a whole, as a separate song, its lines, reproduction, tools and preparation. Now develop an entire fancy and describe it in detail, including all exciting things.

5- Impartiality

You should not copy others’ writing while writing your review. Your analysis should be impartial and unique, as it is your own, not others’ thinking. If you find it interesting and like it, you should let other people know about it. However, if you are critical about it, write your thoughts.

You can recognize other people’s feelings and think about the song, but this is your analysis. That is why your thinking and analysis is most important.

6- Write Evidently

Now you are close to closing your review essay. It must be clear and easy to understand. You should use headings and subtitles and highlight different song characteristics in distinct pieces to make it easier to follow. To make it more appealing and attractive, you can use images of the artist or the album creation to divide the text and explain your essay.

7- Modify Your Analysis/Review

After writing the rough draft of your essay:

• Look at how to modify it.
• Find ways to make it solid and notable. You can also read it loudly or request others to review and give their feedback.
• Proofread it, check the grammar mistakes and make suitable changes.

Encourage and Discourage

• You should have to write your review essay outstandingly. Note that review writing is a type where you must express your opinions and impressions. If not, it will be boring.
• Try to write in a clear and convincing style. If you like it, support your argument. If you dislike it, let the people know its weak point.
• Make a comparison of your review category to other reviews of the same genres.
• Before starting your essay, read other people’s reviews about this piece.

Discourage  

• You should not show biased behaviour about your analysis of the music.
• Your conclusion should not be illogical. If you are encouraging the audience to buy this album, you should support it logically.
• Don’t write too much length content. Try to write short but precise and concise sentences.

Music is an important part of our life. It soothes our moods and spreads happiness. But as much as it is interesting, it would be challenging for us to write a music review essay. While focusing on the above tips will help you to guide about it.

Hi music fan! I am Jeff. Hope that you enjoy some stuff I shared here in my personal blog.

About myself, Currently I am  in charging as Artist Manager/Music Supervisor at 72 Music Management. I did managed album to Grammy Award in 2017 with 7 Nominations from 2014-2020 and had the opportunities to work with : A.J. Croce, Blind Boys of Alabama, Bobby Rush, Dom Flemons, Dustbowl Revival, Sarah Grace

Governor of the Memphis Chapter of The Recording Academy is one of a award that I am lucky to achieved.

Songs Analysis: Themes and Motifs Essay (Critical Writing)

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

The Sugarhill Gang – Rappers Delight

The song Rappers Delight is clearly representative of what used to be the discursive essence of themes and motifs, explored by the early affiliates of the Hip-Hop musical genre. In it, the band members expound on the pleasures of enjoying life to its fullest, while implying that it is specifically one’s possession of a plenty of money, which allows the concerned individual to lead an independent and thoroughly delightful lifestyle: “I got bodyguards, I got two big cars… I got a Lincoln continental and a sunroof Cadillac”.

The song’s lyrics also explore the motif of sexuality – rappers make continual references to the fact that it is specifically their social status-related ‘coolness’, which allow them to have sex with as many women, as they can handle.

Even though that the earlier mentioned themes and motifs are clearly present in the modern rap-lyrics, the manner in which The Sugarhill Gang reflects upon them leaves only a few doubts, as to the fact that the song in question was composed in the late seventies. This is because; as opposed to what it is being the case with today’s rappers, the band members refrain from accentuating the aspects of their racial affiliation, as such naturally oppose them against the society.

In my opinion, this deprives the lyrics of Rappers Delight of a certain discursive depth and contributes to the fact that the discussed song can be well referred to, as such that promotes a highly stereotypical image of African-Americans, as people utterly alienated from the issues of a socio-political importance.

Africa Bambataa – Planet Rock

One’s exposure to the lyrics of Planet Rock , suggest that this song is being the least concerned with tackling any semantically identifiable issues. In essence, the song’s actual text consists of the lead-singer’s pleas for listeners to adopt a partying mood: “Party people, party people. Can y’all get funky?”. The most memorable aspect of how he does it is that there is an undeniable hype to these pleas, which in turn implies that the listeners’ likelihood to ‘get funky’ positively relates to their willingness to get high on alcohol or drugs.

Nevertheless, the song in question is not altogether deprived of a certain political sounding, because it subtly refers to the promoted activity, as being associated with the lifestyle of the self-proclaimed ‘Zulu Nation’ members.

In addition, the drumbeat, featured in the song’s melody, is clearly reminiscent of the drumbeat in African folk tunes. This subtly implies that the song’s semantic content (even though there is very little of it in the song) cannot be discussed outside of the band members’ clearly defined commitment to celebrate their ethno-cultural uniqueness.

Even though, as it was mentioned earlier, Planet Rock may not be praised on the account of its thematic richness; there is nevertheless a certain rationale in referring to it as being rather powerful, in the discursive sense of this word. This is because, it does prompt listeners to explore what happened to be their socially suppressed anxieties/desires – hence, empowering them to an extent, as individuals unaffected by the conventions of a perceptual euro-centricity.

Newcleus – Jam On It

This song is another good example of what hip-hop rapping used to be all about, during the course of the eighties. After all, the song’s most easily identifiable trademarks are: the ideological neutrality of its lyrics and the inclusion of electronic music, as the tool of emphasizing the melody’s rhythm. Briefly, the song’s lyrics glorify the lifestyle of intellectually liberated individuals, who strive to have fun, as the main purpose of their existence: “You gotta funk it up until it knocks you down”.

At the same time, however, some of the song’s lines do seem to sound rather politically charged, like the following: “Jammin… It’s what separates us from the rest”, “I’m down by law when it comes to rockin’ viciously, you see”. As these lines imply, there is indeed a qualitative difference between African-Americans (us) and the rest of Americans (them).

Moreover, the latter line subtly suggests that African-Americans are in no position to explore their music-related aesthetic tastes to the fullest, as it can be well deemed an ‘illegal’ activity.

Thus, Jam On It can well be referred to as a ‘transitional’ rap-song, which marked the process of Black rappers beginning to explore the issue of the Black people’s ‘otherness’, as such that defines their existential mode more than anything does, from the mid-eighties on. Therefore, this particular song can be recommended for listening by people who are interested in learning about the history of American hip-hop.

Kurtis Blow – The Breaks

In his song, Kurtis Blow enlightens listeners on the fact that one can never be in a full control of its life, as the life’s dynamics never cease being affected by a number of unforeseen developments – ‘breaks’: “Breaks to win and breaks to lose

But these here breaks will rock your shoes”. Nevertheless, even though Blow refers to these ‘breaks’, as being necessarily counter-beneficiary, there is an undeniable aura of optimism to the song.

Partially, this can be explained by the fact that, despite the song’s formal affiliation with the genre of hip-hop, it is heavily affected by the musical conventions of disco. This is also the reason why The Breaks can be well used, as the musical accompaniment to dancing. Because of that, there can be only a few doubts, as to the fact that the song in question was written in a time when the genre of hip-hop was through the early phase of its development.

Although The Breaks is a rather optimistic/’light’ song, there is a clearly defined philosophical sounding to it. This is because it does encourage listeners to contemplate on the sporadic nature of life-challenges. What it means is that, after having been exposed to this particular song, people would be much more like to adopt a proper stance, when it comes to anticipating and addressing these challenges.

Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five – The Message

In this song, Melle Mel and Duke Bootee reflect upon the actual realities of an urban living in America. According to them, while dealing with life-challenges, many people end up being pushed to the limits of their endurance, because their experiences, in this respect, often cause them to realize that they are in fact living in an ‘urban jungle’: “It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder.

How I keep from going under”. Hence, the song’s subtly conveyed message – it is specially the society, which should be blamed for the fact that many of its members fail at attaining a social prominence.

Unlike what it used to be the case with the semantic content of the hip-hop early compositions, the themes and motifs, featured in The Message , appear to be clearly socio-economic. After all, they emphasize the fact that is the very specifics of a post-industrial living in America, which cause many affected people to grow mentally unstable (Jenkins 9). This, of course, suggests that there are clearly political overtones to this song, as it tackles the issue of people’s exploitation in the intellectually honest manner.

Due to what has been pointed out earlier, I think that there is indeed a good rationale in referring to The Message , as a discursively powerful song. After all, this song can well be discussed, as such that indicts the country’s rich and powerful, on the account of the latter enjoying their lives, at the expense of denying the same opportunity to the society’s underprivileged members.

Run DMC – Sucker MCs

This particular song is concerned with the rapper (Jam Master Jay) expounding on the particulars of his lifestyle, as an individual who has what it takes to take a practical advantage of opportunities in life.

The song’s main theme is that it is specifically one’s financial well-being, which reflects the extent of the concerned individual’s happiness: “Champagne caviar, and bubble bath. But see ahh, ah that’s the life, ah that I lead”. The song also promotes the idea that the situation when many people fail, while striving to enrich themselves, is thoroughly natural, because it correlates with the objective laws of nature.

Even though that Sucker MCs can be best described as a rather apolitical song, it is nevertheless discursively progressive. This is because it encourages listeners to consciously realize something that the majority of people are being aware of on an unconscious level – the measure of just about any individual’s worth reflects the amount of money that he or she happened to have in the bank – pure and simple.

It is understood, of course, that many moralistically minded/religious people may disagree with the song’s foremost message. Yet, it does not make this message less valid. After all, the very notion of the ‘American Dream’ has traditionally been associated with the notion of a material prosperity. Therefore, it will not be much of an exaggeration to suggest that Sucker MCs is indeed an intellectually enlightening song.

UTFO – Roxanne Roxanne

Roxanne Roxanne is one of the most famous early hip-hop compositions. In it, the rappers (Shiller Shaun Fequiere and Jeffrey Campbell) tell the story of how they tried to win a favor with Roxane – a girl they met out on the street. As the song implies, it is specifically their ‘sophistication’, which each of the rappers believed was going to attract Roxanne: “She’ll (Roxanne) take to my rap, cause my rap’s the best. The educated rapper MD will never fess”. In the end, Roxanne agrees to go out on a date with one of the rappers.

Even though that Roxanne Roxanne if an ideologically neutral song, it nowadays would have been deemed politically incorrect. This is because, despite the fact that both rappers do express their admiration of Roxanne, they nevertheless appear fully aware that there is nothing truly special about her. In their eyes, she is nothing but one among the millions and millions of similarly minded ‘broads’ – pretty on the outside, but quite shallow on the inside: “I ain’t comitting suicide for no crab… calling her a crab is just a figure of speech”.

Thus, Roxanne Roxanne can be well referred to, as a song that accentuates the fact that men and women are different, in the psychological sense of this word. Yet, this is exactly what attracts them to each other – quite contrary to what the conventions of political correctness imply (Wouters 730).

Salt N Pepa – Tramp

In this song, the rap-singers (all female) go about warning women that they would be much better off exercising a caution in their relationships with men. This is because, according to these singers, men are obsessed with sex, which in turn causes them to treat women, as nothing short of prostitutes: “You know that kind (of men), excited all the time. With nothin’ but sex on the mind”. The song concludes with the band members suggesting that, due to their awareness of what accounts for men’s true agenda, they will not be easily victimized.

The earlier provided summary of this song leaves only a few doubts, as to the fact that feminists composed it. After all, the text implies that the singers’ foremost agenda in life was protecting their bodies from coming into a close contact with men – quite contrary to the fact that female bodies are being specifically ‘designed’ to be ‘penetrated’ by men for the purpose of ‘baby-making’.

Therefore, Tramp can be discussed, as such that reflects the singers might have been affected by the condition of a sexual frigidness, common among feministically minded women.

I personally do not think that there is much of a discursive value to the song Tramp . It is not only that it provides listeners with an utterly distorted view of male sexuality, but it also aims to stereotype all men, as sexual maniacs. Given the coarse sounding of the singers’ voices, we can speculate that the themes and motifs, contained in this song, are rather subliminal.

Sir Mix-a-Lot – Posse on Broadway

In this song, Anthony Ray raps about the road-trip that he and his friends undertook along the streets of Seattle: “In the Black Benz Limo, with the cellular phone. I’m callin’ up the posse, it’s time to get rippin’”. As they continue to drive around, the ‘posse’ is growing larger, while putting a strain of the car’s suspension. This, however, does not cause the rapper a great deal of worry. According to him, there can never be too high of a price for having fun.

What is especially noticeable about this particular song is that it emanates the strong spirit of solidarity – Ray and his friends appear to share the same existential values. In fact, this enables them to have fun, in the first place, as the sensation of unity, on their part, causes the crew members not only to feel quite safe, but also elevates them to a position of authority.

This is the reason why, while faced with the incident of some other man mistreating its girlfriend, one of Ray’s friends decides to give this person a lesson: “My homeboy P.L.B. co’ sprayed the boy with mace”.

Therefore, it will be appropriate to refer to Posse on Broadway , as such, that contains a clue, as to what accounts for the main difference between African-Americans, on the one hand, and Whites, on the other. This difference is concerned with the fact that, unlike what it is being usually the case with Whites, Black-Americans never hesitate to stick up for each other, when circumstances call for it.

LL Cool J – I Need Love

I Need Love is an essentially love-song, in which LL Cool J expounds on the fact that, having not had loved any woman for real, he could never make his life complete, and expresses his deep-seated desire to fall in love. The lines “I need love. I need love”, repeated over and over, throughout the song’s duration, emphasize the sheer genuineness of the rapper’s desire, in this respect.

One of the song’s most memorable aspects is the fact that it points out to love, as something can only be truly experienced within the context of men and women pursuing a heterosexual relationship with each other: “Warmth… is created by a girl and a boy; You’re as soft as a pillow and I’m as hard as steel”.

In its turn, this suggests that the author knew perfectly well that accounts for the actual mechanics of a loving relationship between the representatives of both sexes – namely the fact that, while on their own, men and women experience the sensation of a psychological incompleteness. This is why; it is in the nature of psychologically adequate men and women to long for each other.

This idea, clearly read between the song’s lines, cannot be deemed politically correct nowadays, when even the most grotesque sexual deviations are being discussed in terms of an ‘alternative sex-style’. Yet, this is exactly the reason why I Need Love should be recommended for listening.

MC Lyte – Paper Thin

Paper Thin is another song that belongs to the genre of the so-called ‘feminist hip-hop’. In it, MC Lyte positions herself as an emotionally (and probably sexually) frigid woman, incapable of entering into long-lasting relationships with men: “I’m not the kind of girl to try to play a man out.

I take the money and the gear and then break the hell out”. This, however, does not seem to worry the singer, whatsoever. Quite on the contrary – she takes pride in being deprived of any romantic illusions towards men, in general, and towards the person, she had just slept with, in particular.

Given the song’s actual content, mentioned earlier, it does not come as a particular surprise that it is being particularly popular with feminists. After all, its themes and motifs are indeed consistent with these women’s subliminal desire to grow out penises. This, however, is also the reason why Paper Thin may never appeal to the broader public – it is not only that it features a poorly rhymed text, but it also unappealing, in the aesthetic sense of this word.

As what has been said earlier implies, my personal reaction to this song is strongly negative. In all probability, while writing it, MC Lyte wanted to represent herself as a thoroughly progressive woman, aware of the world’s actual ways. Yet, she only succeeded in exposing the sheer extent of its own perceptual arrogance, as a cynically minded and simultaneously not very bright individual, who suffers from the deep-seated complex of being nothing less of a ‘man in a skirt’.

Ice-T – Squeeze the Trigger

Squeeze the Trigger is the good example of the so-called ‘gangsta rap’. In it, Ice-T raps about what he considers the actual truths of life – the fact that, despite the politically correct propaganda of ‘peace and tolerance’, the streets in American large cities are in fact war-zones, and the fact that hypocrisy is only the ‘talent’ that the American high-ranking politicians possess.

This is the reason why the people of color in the US have no option but to grow accustomed to violence – by doing it, they simply strive to increase the chances of their physical survival: “I rap about the life that the city streets gave me. Murder, intrigue, somebody must bleed”.

Even though that the song’s lyrics are indeed rather violent, Squeeze the Trigger is nevertheless a thoroughly progressive rap-composition. This is because it does not glorify violence, as a ‘thing in itself’, as much as it exposes the violence’s actual roots: “Homeless sleep on the city streets… While rich politicians soak their feet, in the pools at their ten million buck retreats”. This, of course, endows this particular song with a well-defined political sounding, which gives Ice-T an additional credit.

I think that Squeeze the Trigger does a good job, while encouraging listeners to face the reality, as it is – hence, making them more capable of adopting a proper stance, when it comes to addressing life-challenges.

Public Enemy – Rebel without a Pause

The lyrics of this particular songs are concerned with the singer’s understanding, as to what accounts for his existential self-identity, and with his willingness to celebrate it – even at the expense of being referred to as an ‘anti-social element’: “Hard – my calling card… Loud and proud kickin’ live next poet supreme”. This, of course, naturally causes the song in question to be perceived as utterly powerful, in the discursive sense of this word.

Just as it happened with the song, discussed earlier, Rebel without a Pause implies that those African-Americans that subscribe to the explored themes and motifs, no longer want to remain observant of the provisions of euro-centricity. The reason for this is simple – as opposed to what it happened to be the case with degenerate Whites, they have a plenty of vitality to them. In its turn, this naturally predisposes brothers to experience the sensation of being in control of the streets – in essence; this is what the discussed song is all about.

My opinion of this song is strongly favorable. Partially, this is because the song’s lyrics confirm the validity of my belief that there is no reason for one’s existential strength to seek any moral justification – being a strong individual is ‘good’ by definition, just as being weak is ‘evil’. Therefore, there can only be a few doubts, as to the song’s beneficiary effects upon those who listen to it.

Two Live Crew – Me So Horny

In this song, the band members rap about being horny to such an extent that they have no reservations, whatsoever, against discussing the subject matter in the extremely straightforward manner: “I’m like a dog in heat, a freak without warnin’. I have an appetite for sex, ’cause me so horny’”.

Even though that some people may find the song’s lyrics morally inappropriate, the rappers have to be given a credit on the account of their willingness to talk openly about what others only whisper.

This, of course, implies that Me So Horny can be referred to, as being an intellectually stimulating musical piece. After all, the song’s themes and motifs do imply that a sexual desire is one of the main driving forces in just about any person’s life (Treacy and Randle 20). In this respect, Me So Horny i s perfectly consistent with the provisions of psychoanalysis.

Moreover, this song is also intellectually liberating – while exposed to it, listeners grow to be increasingly aware of the fact that there is nothing ‘shameful’ about the physiological workings of their bodies.

Therefore, it will only be logical to think of Me So Horny , as being educational to an extent. After all, people’s willingness to expose the sheer fallaciousness of a number of moralistic dogmas, concerned with ‘tabooing’ the sense of sexuality, is nowadays being deemed socially beneficial.

Boogie Down Productions – My Philosophy

In this song, the rapper (RS-One) talks about what he considers the qualitative aspects of his life-philosophy. The foremost of them happened to be his awareness of the fact that, in order to be able to emanate power, one should refrain from acting in the stereotypical manner: “I don’t… reinforce stereotypes of today. Like all my brothers eat chicken and watermelon”. Apparently, while promoting the earlier mentioned idea, the rapper wanted to empower Africa-Americans even further.

This, of course, provides us with a rational to refer to My Philosophy , as another example of how rap-music can be used to serve essentially educational purposes. After all, the song’s main philosophical premise is concerned with the realization of the fact that, in order to for people’s authority-claims to be legitimate, those who come with them must be thoroughly versatile individuals, capable of subjectualizing themselves within the surrounding reality: “It (life) is not about a salary it’s all about reality”.

The progressive sounding of this idea is quite clear, as it does prompt listeners to remain analytical, while trying to take a practical advantage of the opportunities that life periodically offers.

Therefore, I believe that My Philosophy does deserve to be recommended for listening, as a musical piece that is potentially capable of enlightening people on the true significance of a number of discursive issues.

NWA – Fuck the Police

In this song, the rappers talk about the fact that in today’s America, colored people continue to suffer from being exposed to the different forms of a racial discrimination. This is especially being the case when they deal with police: “(Police) searchin my car, lookin for the product.

Thinkin every nigga is sellin narcotics”. However, the rappers also express their belief that this situation will not last for much longer, due to the essence of the demographic dynamics in the U.S.: “Fuck the police and Ren said it with authority, because the niggaz on the street is a majority”. This statement, of course, can hardly be disagreed with (Jones and Jackson 77).

Therefore, I have no option but to refer to Fuck the Police , as another rap-song, the listening to which is capable to empower African-Americans rather substantially, in the psychological sense of this word. This is because it encourages them to believe that it is specifically brothers, and not the police, who represent the de facto authority out on the streets.

As such, Fuck the Police represents an undeniable discursive value, as a song that enlightens African-Americans on the sheer extent of their yet not fully realized existential potency.

Works Cited

Jenkins, Alan. “Inequality, Race, and Remedy.” American Prospect 18.5 (2007): 8-11. Print.

Jones, Nicholas and James Jackson. “The Demographic Profile of African Americans, 1970-2000.” Black Collegian 31.3 (2001): 72-79. Print.

Treacy, Vicky and Jacqueline Randle. “Breaking Sexuality Taboos.” Pediatric Nursing 16. 2 (2004): 19-22. Print.

Wouters, Cas. “Sexualization: Have Sexualization Processes Changed Direction?” Sexualities 13.6 (2010): 723-741. Print.

• Reading Between the Lines, Interpreting Music
• Beethoven’s Eroica and Tchaikovsky’s 1812
• "Why Rap Should Be Banned": Fallacy Analysis
• Female Rap Artists' Art Review
• Hip-Hop and Politics Correlation in the USA
• The Song with no Motive and the Songwriter without a Clue
• “Der Erlkonig” and “Lost Your Head Blues”
• Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony
• World Peace in Music
• Serialism as a Technique of Composing Pieces of Music
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, January 17). Songs Analysis: Themes and Motifs. https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-songs/

"Songs Analysis: Themes and Motifs." IvyPanda , 17 Jan. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-songs/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Songs Analysis: Themes and Motifs'. 17 January.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Songs Analysis: Themes and Motifs." January 17, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-songs/.

1. IvyPanda . "Songs Analysis: Themes and Motifs." January 17, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-songs/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Songs Analysis: Themes and Motifs." January 17, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-songs/.

4 Tips on How to Write a Music Review Essay

There is hardly even one person on the planet who can’t stand music. We all have playlists for different moods or songs which associate with memorable events. However, when it comes to writing a music review essay, we seem to be stuck and don’t know what to begin with. Some students even tend to reach out for essay help , not to cope with an assignment on their own. We have prepared a simple guide for you to follow to write an excellent music review essay.

What is a Music Review Essay?

A review of a song is your opinion or feedback on a musical composition. You have to make this essay less subjective and contain as much reliable information as possible. Just like any other type of academic writing, it consists of the introduction, the main body devoted to various aspects of the music analysis, and a conclusion.

1. Get ready

Before you start writing your essay, you should, of course, listen to a piece of music and study some information about the artist and the song itself. First of all, listen to the composition for the first time and write down your thoughts. Try not to think about the lyrics and concentrate on the feelings. The second time, pay attention precisely to the lyrics of the song (if there are any) and again describe your emotions. It would help if you didn’t read other people’s reviews and the story behind the song until you’ve formed your very own opinion of it.

It is best to begin by analyzing the melody, its sound, the music, and the setting. First of all, the music and the melody create the impression of the song. Only by listening to a piece several times in a row can you form a correct opinion of it and understand its meaning.

Describe the tone of the song, the quality of the arrangement, the sound of some of the musical instruments. For example, the bass guitar creates the main tone or there would be no drums and the song would not succeed. In the case of writing a review for a specialized publication or on request, you need to describe everything in professional terms, trace the composition of the song, analyze all its parts.

It is necessary to note the musical style in which the song was written, the quality of the recording, and it is better not to compare it with the previous repertoire of the performer unless, of course, this song will be radically better or worse than previous ones. Note what emotions the song evoked in you, what impressed you most, and what upset you most.

The second component of the song is the lyrics. You should briefly describe the content and meaning of the song. Emphasize the beauty of the lyric, its meaningfulness, the beauty of the verse, and convey its meaning and content. If the author used some striking comparisons or metaphors, it would not be superfluous to tell about them. Try to imagine what the author wanted to convey to the audience and how he succeeded or failed.

4. Background

Tell more details about the song, the story of its creation. Don’t forget to trace the connection to events that were happening in the world or in the life of the musician at the time. All the facts obtained about it will help to make a deeper analysis and understand the hidden meaning. Just do not go into the smallest details because it will not make sense, and it can spoil the impression. However, it often happens that without knowing the history of creation and the events that prompted the creation of the musical composition, listeners underestimate the art or even consider the song to be outright nonsense. For example, if you don’t know the history of the Taro song by Alt-J, you would probably not get a thing. But if you dig deeper, you will understand that this is a beautiful love song about two protographs — Robert Capa and Gerda Taro — who died during the war and reunited in their afterlives.

It would help if you analyzed the work as objectively as possible. Your attitude toward the author or performer should not affect the quality of the review in any way. You must be as honest as possible with the reader and write a review, which should include neither solid praise nor only negative reviews.

You should describe both the strengths and weaknesses of the song. You can express your personal opinion, however, not to be biased. Your readers might not be familiar with the song and the art of a performer. You have to keep this in mind and not miss any essential details in your essay.

Song&Music Review Examples and Samples

See how to write music review samples for yourself.

A Comprehensive Guide to Song and Music Reviews

In the world of music, song reviews play a significant role in shaping public opinion and promoting talent. These reviews provide musicians with constructive feedback and help listeners discover new artists and songs. Whether you’re a seasoned music critic, an aspiring reviewer on Slicethepie, or a music enthusiast looking to express your thoughts, writing paid reviews requires a keen ear, a deep understanding of musical elements, and the ability to articulate your impressions in a meaningful way. This comprehensive guide will provide you with everything you need to know about music reviews, from understanding the music review platform to assessing commercial potential and recognizing high-quality production.

Understanding Slicethepie: A Premier Music Review Platform

Slicethepie is a premier platform where scouts (also known as reviewers) can listen to unsigned artists and provide feedback in exchange for compensation. It’s an excellent opportunity for anyone with a passion for music and a knack for critique. As a scout on Slicethepie, you can explore various genres of music and influence the career of up-and-coming musicians. It also provides an avenue to earn from your passion, as you receive payment for reviews based on their quality and depth.

What Makes a Song Worth Listening To: The Essential Musical Elements

Reviewing music goes beyond personal preference. It involves examining key musical elements such as melodies, vocals, lyrics, and instrumental arrangements. A good song usually has a catchy melody that captures the listener’s attention. Vocals and lyrics contribute significantly to a song’s emotional impact, and a well-crafted instrumental arrangement enhances the overall performance quality. As a music reviewer, you need to listen closely to these components and understand how they interact to create a compelling musical piece.

• Melody: The sequence of notes that forms the tune. A catchy and memorable melody can quickly capture the listener’s attention and make the song more appealing.
• Vocals: The singer’s voice is a critical part of any song. The quality of the vocals, including the singer’s tone, pitch, expressiveness, and emotional connection to the song, can significantly impact the listener’s experience.
• Lyrics: Lyrics are the words of the song and often convey the song’s story or message. Well-written lyrics can evoke emotions, inspire thoughts, and contribute to the song’s overall emotional impact.
• Instrumental Arrangement: This includes the rhythm, harmonies, and the variety of instruments used in the song. A well-crafted instrumental arrangement complements the vocals and enhances the song’s mood, adding depth to the overall musical piece.

Understanding these elements and how they interact with each other is essential for writing a comprehensive music review. As a music reviewer, your role is to analyze these elements closely and evaluate how effectively they contribute to the overall quality and appeal of the song.

The Role and Responsibility of a Music Reviewer

The reviewer, whether a scout on Slicethepie, a music critic, or a casual listener sharing their opinions, holds a significant responsibility. A well-written review can shape the listener’s perception and potentially influence an artist’s career trajectory. This role involves objectively assessing a song or an album and articulating a detailed critique. While personal taste is inevitable, the best reviewers can separate personal preference from the assessment of a song’s structure, lyrics, performance, and overall impact. A music reviewer should be fair, balanced, and respectful, appreciating the effort and creativity that goes into every musical piece. Before submitting your review, consider using an AI writer check to ensure clarity and coherence.

Evaluating Commercial Potential in Music

One important aspect of reviewing music is understanding its commercial potential. Not all songs are created with the intention to become mainstream hits, but recognizing marketability in a piece of music can influence how it is promoted and who its target audience may be. This does not only pertain to catchy, pop culture tunes but also niche genres that may have a smaller, yet dedicated fan base. As a music reviewer, it’s your responsibility to evaluate the song’s potential for commercial success. Factors such as the relatability of the lyrics, the attractiveness of the melodies, the performance quality, and the overall production quality all contribute to a song’s commercial appeal.

How to Earn from Writing Song Reviews

For those passionate about music, earning from writing song reviews can be a rewarding experience. Platforms like Slicethepie provide a streamlined way for reviewers to get compensated for their insights. The earnings for each review vary based on its quality – detailed, thoughtful reviews with clear reasoning are more likely to earn higher compensation. However, it’s important to remember that ethical practices are crucial when writing paid reviews. Your feedback should be genuine, unbiased, and aimed at helping the artist improve and the audience make informed decisions.

Distinguishing Quality in Music: From Artists to Production

When reviewing music, it’s crucial to consider both the artist’s performance and the quality of the production. The performer’s vocal skills, expressiveness, and connection to the lyrics play a significant role in bringing a song to life. On the other hand, the production quality – including the mixing, mastering, and instrumental arrangement – contributes to the listener’s overall experience. High-quality production can significantly enhance a good song, while poor production may detract from an otherwise excellent piece. As a reviewer, your job is to appreciate and critique both these aspects, providing constructive feedback that can help the artist grow.

Choosing the Right Genre: The Impact of Music Styles

Understanding and appreciating different music genres is a vital skill for a music reviewer. Each genre has its unique characteristics, norms, and audience expectations. Whether you’re reviewing a country ballad, a rap anthem, or an EDM track, it’s crucial to understand the conventions of the genre and how effectively the song adheres to or deviates from these norms. While it’s perfectly okay to have genre preferences, a good music reviewer should be open-minded and able to appreciate and critique a wide range of music styles.

The Magic of Vocal Melodies in Song Reviews

Vocal melody is a vital aspect of any song and thus plays a significant role in song reviews. It’s the melody carried by the singer’s voice and often the part of the song that listeners remember and sing along to. An effective vocal melody can evoke emotions, generate a sense of familiarity, and create an impact on the listener. As a reviewer, it’s crucial to pay attention to the vocal melody, considering how it interacts with the lyrics and the rest of the instrumental arrangement. The singer’s vocal tone and expressiveness can also significantly enhance the melody, creating a more immersive and emotive listening experience.

Significance of Instrumental Arrangements in Music Reviews

Instrumental arrangement refers to how the instruments in a song are utilized and orchestrated. It includes everything from the rhythm and tempo to the variety of instruments used. A well-crafted instrumental arrangement can enhance a song’s mood, complement the vocals, and add depth to the overall composition. As a reviewer, it’s important to acknowledge the instrumental arrangement’s role in a song. Does it support the vocal melody and the song’s emotional tone? Does it add interest and variety without overpowering the vocals? These are crucial questions to consider when reviewing a song’s instrumental arrangement.

The Art and Impact of Songwriters in Music Reviews

Behind every great song, there are often one or more talented songwriters. These lyricists, composers, and music creators are responsible for crafting the melodies, harmonies, and lyrics that make up a song. In your reviews, it’s valuable to consider the songwriter’s contribution. Analyze the lyrics for their depth, cleverness, and emotional resonance. Assess how the composition contributes to the song’s overall mood and message. By acknowledging the songwriters in your reviews, you not only give credit where it’s due but also provide a more comprehensive critique of the song.

In conclusion, song and music reviews are an art form in themselves, requiring a keen ear, an understanding of musical elements, and the ability to articulate opinions clearly and respectfully. With these insights, you’re now equipped to dive into the world of music reviews and make meaningful contributions to the music community. Whether you’re seeking to earn through platforms like Slicethepie or simply wish to express your love for music, remember that your reviews can have a significant impact. So, listen carefully, write thoughtfully, and enjoy the journey of exploring music one review at a time.

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Analyzing a Song – So Simple Every Student Can Do It

December 13, 2022 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   2 Comments

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English teachers, teaching your students how to analyze song lyrics needs to be a “go-to” strategy, a step toward deeper analysis of more complex texts .

Whether you’re teaching poetry, persuasive essays, or some other writing unit, analyzing song lyrics will give your students an opportunity to look at the different ways that language can be used to capture emotions and tell stories .

This close reading process will also help improve their vocabulary and grammar skills while they are having fun!

Here are some tips on how to teach students to analyze song lyrics so that they can gain valuable writing knowledge through a familiar medium they love!

Analysis of Song Lyrics

Taylor Swift makes analyzing song lyrics in the classroom easy peasy. Like her or not, you can count on her to write songs that tell a story, are layered in deep meaning, and littered with Easter eggs that are fun to try and collect (even for the non-Swifties). 

Taylor Swift’s “ Anti Hero” is a fun student-friendly song to bring into the classroom to practice analysis skills.

With callbacks to songs on other albums in lines like “I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser,” you can challenge students to analyze the development of a theme across multiple texts (helloooo higher level DOK and those really tricky to meet standards!).

Lyrics like “I’m the problem; it’s me” coupled with the title setup an opportunity to teach the concept of anti-hero (I especially like the idea of teaching about anti-heroes after teaching about the hero’s journey) and challenging students to analyze how Swift herself could be seen as this archetype by analyzing other songs and conducting online research.

“Anti Hero” also has what appear to be two references to pop culture ( 30 Rock and Knives Out ) that had even the swiftest of Swifties stumped online. These references are an accessible way to introduce the idea of allegory. 

Taylor has really teed up the song analysis practice in English classrooms to be endless with so many rabbit holes to go down at every turn! 

Song Meaning “Hallelujah”

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” has a deep meaning making it a popular choice for teaching song analysis.  The meaning of Hallelujah is about someone who was deeply in love and is mourning the guilt of the loss of that love .

The song can teach students how to analyze lyrics by pointing out that even though it doesn’t say so explicitly, this is a song about a break-up .

They can also learn other aspects of reading literature, like examining tone and form. Analyzing song lyrics enables students to apply what they’ve learned as they read other texts or songs.

After reading a poem or listening to a song’s lyrics, students should be able to answer questions like: 

• Who is speaking? 
• How do you know? 
• What do you think the speaker’s feelings are?
•  What does this tell you about their personality? 
• Do these feelings make sense for the situation?

Good Songs to Analyze

When choosing good songs to analyze remember these three things:

• Choose a song that tells a story
• A song with a deep meaning or theme that challenges students’ inferential thinking skills works best
• Pick songs that students will know and be excited to listen to (that means that while “We Didn’t Start the Fire” is technically a great song for analysis, it might not be the most engaging for your students)

Here are some songs for teaching song analysis that will not only help you teach important analysis skills but also engage and delight your students:

• “ Pray for Me ” by the Weeknd ft. Kendrick Lamar
• “ Thunder ” by Imagine Dragons 
• “ Bohemian Rhapsody ” by Queen (this one is suitable for older students)
• “ Born This Way ” by Lady Gaga
• “ Getting Older ” by Billie Eilish 
• “ Drivers License ” by Olivia Rodrigo 
• “ This is America ” by Childish Gambino/Donald Glover
• “ Matilda ” by Harry Styles
• “ Victoria’s Secret ” by Jax (does have some profanity – I’ve linked the “clean” version)
• “ Vacation ” by The Dirty Heads (does say “shit”)

How to Analyze a Song

Teaching students how to analyze a song is similar to teaching poetry or literary analysis, but using songs disguises the learning as a fun activity making it really engaging and accessible for all learners.

Start by having students listen to their song twice .

• Instruct them to listen through for the first time just for enjoyment and to follow along with the printed lyrics (or digital if you have a way for students to access the lyrics online).
• Then have them listen a second time but this time have them highlight and circle words and phrases that they think are important and interesting. 

Challenge students to consider the following questions during their second time listening and to annotate the lyrics as they go:

• Who’s telling the story? What’s their perspective? How do they feel? What’s making them feel that way?
• What’s the mood of the song? Do the lyrics or the music contribute more to the mood?
• What figurative language do you notice in the lyrics? Why might the songwriter have chosen to include that figurative language?
• What could the songwriter be saying about human nature or society through their lyrics? How could you write a theme statement about these lyrics?

Once you’ve gotten your students started with the analysis process, make sure to involve your students. Ask them what they notice and use their insights to build discussion. Have them write a summary of the song or write a detailed analysis or work on a more creative, visual response.

Song & Poem Analysis Paired Text Lesson Plans

Make close reading, textual analysis and literary analysis of songs (and poems)  less intimidating  with these detailed, CCSS-aligned  close reading song analysis lesson plans for paired texts . Integrated close reading, text-based writing, speaking, listening, and inquiry skills, make these lessons both  engaging and worthwhile.

To help you save prep time, I’ve put together some awesome lessons for you HERE , including:

• Carrie Underwood’s song “Cry Pretty” & Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ song “Growing Up”
• William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus” & Imagine Dragons’ song “Whatever it Takes”
• Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise” and Tupac’s song “Still I Rise”
• Stephen Dobyns’ poem “Loud Music” and Incubus’ song “Dig”
• “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
• “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day and “Brick by Boring Brick” by Paramore
• “Hotel California” by the Eagles and “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
• Protest Songs
• “Mad World” by Tears for Fears and “A Million Dreams” sung by Pink / The Greatest Showman

Wrapping Up

When students analyze songs, they think about its overall impact.

What makes this song great, and why do you like it? What is it about this song that makes it stand out?

Thinking through these ideas with easily-accessible texts makes transferring their skills and knowledge to literature (ya know, the kind with the capital L ) easier.

They’ll have practice analyzing craft moves like figurative language and allegory, but they’ll also have practice with those more complex reading strategies like making inferences and connections .

Have a song you think would be perfect to analyze in the classroom? I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a comment below to share! 

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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• Writing Tips

8 Tips on How to Write a Music Review

3-minute read

• 16th May 2020

When you write a music review, you’re aiming to share your impression of the music with the reader. And when you’re reviewing an album, these tips will help you to write something that is readable and engaging.

Before you start writing a review, listen to the music from start to finish at least twice. As you listen, note down your initial thoughts and feelings.

Next, think about how you will introduce and summarize the music. As well as sitting down to listen critically to the music, it might help to listen through speakers or headphones as you go about your day.

2. Research Is Key

Once you’ve listened to the music, do your research. Read articles and interviews with the artist to gather facts about them and the music you’re reviewing. It can also help to read other people’s reviews so you become familiar with the language used in music writing.

3. Think About Context

Think about the music in the context of its genre and the artist’s history. How does it compare with the rest of its genre? Is it a classic example of bubblegum pop, or does it bend the boundary between heavy metal and hardcore punk? And how does it compare to the artist’s previous work?

4. Consider Different Angles

Think about all aspects of the album: how it works as a whole, the individual songs, the lyrics, the artwork , the instrumentation, and its production. Set out your overall impression and go into detail on anything you find interesting (e.g., a theme running through the lyrics or a repeating melody).

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5. Avoid Bias

If you write for as wide an audience as possible, try to be objective. Whether it’s music by your favorite artist or a band and genre you hate, try not to let this cloud your judgement. If you don’t like an artist or a genre, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the quality of the music is bad.

6. Be Honest

It might be tempting to copy what everyone else is writing about the music, but your review should give your honest opinion. If you loved an album that the rest of the world seems to despise, let everyone know!

You can acknowledge other people’s opinions and general attitudes to the music, but it is your review and therefore your own opinion matters most.

7. Write Clearly

Your review should be clear and readable. For longer reviews, use subheadings and cover different aspects of the album in separate sections to make it easy to follow. You can also include images of the artist or the album artwork to break up the text and illustrate your writing.

8. Edit Your Review

Once you’ve written a first draft of your review, think about how to edit it. Look for ways to make it clear and memorable. It may help to read it aloud or ask others to give you feedback. Make revisions where necessary, and remember to check your spelling, grammar and punctuation .

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How do I Write a Song Analysis Essay?

How to Analyze a Poem in Middle School

A good song is like poetry put to music, making it more difficult to analyze than some people might think. A song is full of literary devices and figurative language, and the music develops tone and mood. When writing an essay about a song, you can't pay attention to the lyrics alone. The way the melody accompanies the lyrics can intensify or even change their emotional meaning, because music is a language on its own.

Listen and Brainstorm

Listen to the song a few times. Without thinking too much about stylistic specifics yet, write down how the song affects you. Decide how it makes you feel, and try to discern a central theme or message.

Read Closely and Analyze

Get a printout of the song lyrics so you can scrutinize them more closely. Scour the words for literary devices and consider how their use affects the meaning and feel of the song. For example, consonance, the repetition of consonant sounds, especially after a stressed vowel, can make a line of poetry sound harsher to the ear. A songwriter might use it in a song lyric to communicate frustration over a recent breakup or to create emphasis by making the sounds stand out more.

Consider the Music

Listen to the song again with your notes in front of you. Consider how the music aligns with the words. Cock your ears for crescendos, pauses, instruments fading in or out of the arrangement and tempo changes. Ask yourself how these details enrich the meaning of the lyrics and contribute to the effects of poetic devices. Music with a fast tempo might make listeners more aware of sound devices like consonance, whereas music with a slow tempo can give listeners more time to think about imagery and symbolism in the lyrics. Record your ideas.

Research the Historical Context

Research the historical, social and political context of the song. Music is often reflective of life experience, so knowledge of world events and prevailing attitudes might affect your interpretation. For example, some people think that Don McLean's "American Pie" is a commentary on changes to American culture at the time, and Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" touches on environmental concerns at the beginning of the modern American environmental movement.

Examine the Album

Study the song within the context of the entire album. Ask yourself whether the album has a theme and how the song you've chosen to analyze contributes to its overall feel. Look at the order of the tunes, and decide if the artist chose a deliberate progression of songs to convey a message. Incorporate your ideas into your analysis, using specific evidence to support your assertions.

Organize Your Notes

Examine the observations you've gathered, and look for a common thread that ties them together. Link your detailed observations to your general impression of the song. Your conclusion about the song will be the thesis for your essay. Choose which specific examples you'll use to support your argument. Be mindful of how long your analysis is expected to be, and choose the number of specific examples you can thoroughly discuss within those parameters.

Write Your First Draft

Draft your paper, and don't forget to use regular conventions of essay writing such as punctuation, spelling and grammar. Also remember to consider any special instructions from your teacher. State your thesis and briefly outline your main arguments in the introduction. Devote the body of your essay to expanding your supporting points. Restate your argument and summarize what your paper discussed in the conclusion. Edit your paper for spelling, grammar and clarity. Have someone else read your essay and provide constructive criticism before writing a final draft.

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A professional writer since 2006, Colleen Reinhart has held positions in technical writing and marketing. She also writes lifestyle, health and business articles. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Business degree from the University of Waterloo, and a Master's degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Toronto.

Home / Essay Samples / Music / Songs / This Is America – Song Review

This Is America - Song Review

• Category: Music
• Topic: Music Industry

Pages: 3 (1247 words)

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