The thing is by dismissing all the songs in languages other than Afrikaans and English you are missing out on so much Kathbabay :( Like Rich said, lyrics can be easily googled if you feel you like the melody and everything else about the song in question.

The importance of lyrics varies from song to song, and there are only a few where I think they're absolutely essential / their meaning isn't 'doubled up' by the music behind it. I mean, to take recent BJSC entries,

to me has an awesome combination of JOYOUS and CREEPY before you even seek out a translation of the lyrics, and this is clearly very harrowing! I admit that some songs can only be enjoyed to their fullest when you understand the lyrics, but plenty of them don't need that at all - if they did, then why do instrumentals even exist?

 

Plus Swedish sounds SO much better than English if you're trying to make anything vaguely mysterious/aggressive. There are other languages, I'm aware.

To be honest I don't even pay any attention to the lyrics. It's all about the melody for me, so I don't even care if they sing in English, Slovenian or Kurdu.

 

Every now and there there ARE those lyrics which punch you straight in your guts but that's rare and I could spend hours listening to Svetlana Loboda singing about going to the supermarket if the melody in the song is infectious enough.

 

I don't understand those lyrics at all, but srsly the combination of the piano, the emotional vocals, the production, the video...if that doesn't tug on your heartstrings, I don't know what will.

The importance of lyrics varies from song to song, and there are only a few where I think they're absolutely essential / their meaning isn't 'doubled up' by the music behind it. I mean, to take recent BJSC entries,

to me has an awesome combination of JOYOUS and CREEPY before you even seek out a translation of the lyrics, and this is clearly very harrowing! I admit that some songs can only be enjoyed to their fullest when you understand the lyrics, but plenty of them don't need that at all - if they did, then why do instrumentals even exist?

<3333333 at both of these. Top 3 entries of their respective years.

 

There are so many times that lyrics elevated songs' worth for me because I found words moving. I still have little idea what he sings here about (except for most of the chorus and mostly because there are no lyrics anywhere :cry: ), yet it didn't stop the song being my favourite of 2013! So good <333

 

I don't understand those lyrics at all, but srsly the combination of the piano, the emotional vocals, the production, the video...if that doesn't tug on your heartstrings, I don't know what will.

chart-successful indie song used as an example in a language in music-related topic part 2804 initiate

chart-successful indie song used as an example in a language in music-related topic part 2804 initiate

 

Nope, just an example of pure emotion shining through even though I don't understand the lyrics :P If we're talking about BJSC entries,

one of my favourites, not quite in emotional quality, but definitely extremely infectious.

Edited February 20, 201411 yr by Chez Wombat

Lyrics usually only matter to me (in terms of determining how much I like a song anyway) in rap songs which (shockingly) don't really appear in BJSC much. Even then I don't instantly hate foreign language rap songs. Lorentz & Sakarias last contest ended up being one of my faves, admittedly after disliking it to begin with. And in this contest I really like 'De Ceux' despite being foreign rap (technically spoken word but it's very fast so I'm counting it for this post) AND in my least favourite foreign language to boot.

 

I mostly like the production / general 'atmosphere' more than the lyrics in BJSC, though good lyrics do sometimes help.

A pop/indie song's selling point for me is 1. The lyrics, 2. Being able to relate to it 3. Its catchiness 4. Its beat. A dance or EDM song is another story. But that's just who I am, and if Oricon wants to call that narrow-minded and despise it he should re-evaluate his definition of narrow-mindedness because this isn't the first time he can't tolerate another person's opinion/view other than his own, see Best Gaga Ballad thread~

 

And then referring to me in the second person :drama:

 

TTFN~

 

I'm sorry but my posts there were MY personal opinions on how Gaga handled her ballads and her incapability to project any saddening emotions within them to even consider it decent. I'm perfectly capable of tolerating other people's people as I can understand if people LIKE Gaga's ballads and think that they're good due to their own opinion (but Kath if you haven't noticed, the forum is FLOODED with stans of her who can't tolerate any dislike for anything related to her at all), just that I personally think she's incapable of delivering such tracks (AND I did justify myself). If you go and dismiss a song because it's foreign it DOES come across as xenophobic regardless if you think lyrics is the most important factor when it comes to songs, it doesn't necessary mean it would automatically be dismissed because you have a hard time in understanding what they're saying. Not to mention, your post earlier stating how do you sing to songs you don't understand or know what they're saying? HUM along to them or try your best to adapt to the language and sing bits and pieces of it if the particular tune strikes your attention.

Is this dispute genuinely going on

!!!!!

why is oricon so viciously attacking kath? everyone is entitled to different opinions. we all look to music for different qualities. who are we to look down on others?

Personally, (and this is maybe my esc fan influences coming through here) loads of times a song is better in a language i don't understand because it just flows better with the music e.g. 'Det Gor Ont' >>> 'It Hurts' even though it's the same song/composition.

Never once did I say I was looking down on Kath but rather I find the opinion baffling and confusing (and to an extent, unjustified)? It's the mere despise of an action and opinion which some individuals have on music and not on the person themselves.

Personally, (and this is maybe my esc fan influences coming through here) loads of times a song is better in a language i don't understand because it just flows better with the music e.g. 'Det Gor Ont' >>> 'It Hurts' even though it's the same song/composition.

 

Well yeah, songs would tend to work better in the language they were originally written in. (I'm assuming that your example wasn't originally in English, if it wasn't then... my point still stands just not for this particular example).

Well yeah, songs would tend to work better in the language they were originally written in. (I'm assuming that your example wasn't originally in English, if it wasn't then... my point still stands just not for this particular example).

 

I was going to bring that up but i didn't want to be harping on about this discussion all because one person holds a closed-minded (I wouldn't say xenophobic) view about pop music.

Personally, (and this is maybe my esc fan influences coming through here) loads of times a song is better in a language i don't understand because it just flows better with the music e.g. 'Det Gor Ont' >>> 'It Hurts' even though it's the same song/composition.

I'm the same! Of course I understand It Hurts, Invincible or Forever completely and have no idea what the lyrics are in Det gor ont, Evighet or For altid but most of the time songs flow better in their original language regardless.

Chacun a son gout. :lol:

 

I have voted. Last contest I got one and two spot on. Quite a lot of contenders this time, semi 2 was fab, so a bit harder to predict. Maybe it's wishful thinking (as both are long overdue a win) but Kylienips and Yehesi sound like winners to me so far, and one of them sounds like a hit record.

 

So biggin them up, and a host of great records hot on their heels..

 

yay! B-)

 

 

Oricon, I'm sorry I don't want to get personal, just laying out there~

 

You have this manner in which you post, I think other members have picked up as well. AS IF YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU KNOW EVERYTHING, DISAGREE WITH ME AND YOU'RE SHIT. I've noticed when you can't meet your duties on the forum and you have this "Not my fault I'm waiting tables" attitude, as if we don't have day jobs. Obv you don't say that but it truly comes across that way, this is the first time you've actually described it as an opinion, you post it as it's fact. I could understand it to an extent in the Gaga thread, but throwing names like 'xenophobic' 'despise' and 'narrow-minded' around now is justification of your attitude and inability to deal with others views and reasonable personal taste. If you could sit down for a while without a stubborn mind set you'd realize that you are what you say on others.

 

Someone who doesn't like foreign language songs with good reason is xenophobic, narrow-minded and you despise them? Please mister this is not how a debate rolls. Like I said, maybe if you weren't as stubborn in opinion and quick to throw words like that around, situations like this won't even have happened. No dig at you but please for someone of your age to have such a sense of arrogance is a bit off-putting, I am 21 and not imbecile you don't have to talk down on me in the second person.

 

Do you seriously expect me to google translate foreign language songs, doing otherwise is xenophobia like you said. Get real man! I don't click with the majority of foreign language songs end of, why would I feel the need to chore myself with google translating them? We all appreciate music in different ways and for different reason. I might as well tell any random on the forum to not dismiss 'What Does the Fox Say?' because there is a deeper meaning to the song which they won't understand until they google translate it, even though the person generally dislikes that type of song. :cheer:

I do love some good old UNFILTERED HYPERBOLE

 

(and BS)