Study: Lyrics of rock, rap, country, pop and R&B songs have become simpler and more understandable over time. This is the result of an analysis of more than 12,000 English-language songs from 1980 to 2020.
Positive, joyful lyrics increasingly gave way to lines about anger, disgust and sadness. Rap songs showed the highest increase in negative emotions, while country lyrics showed the lowest. "What we have experienced over the last 40 years is a drastic change in the music landscape," says study author Eva Zangerle.