Song and suffering : When “revenge songs” become a hit

song and sorrow
When “revenge songs” become a hit

He swapped a Ferrari for a Twingo and a Rolex for a Casio: With these words, pop star Shakira (45) apparently calculates with ex-partner Gerard Piqué (35) in her current song “Music Sessions #53”. The couple separated last summer after twelve years together. The professional soccer player is believed to be with a much younger woman. Shakira isn’t the only one to get even with her ex in a song. And that’s successful.

It sounds a bit frustrating when she sings in Spanish: she is worth two 22-year-olds. The corresponding music video shows her in a recording studio – together with the Argentine music producer Bizarrap. The Colombian distributes properly. You also have to train your brain, not just your body.

support from the fans

At least musically she hits the mark. The video has been clicked millions of times on YouTube. Fans stand behind the music star in the comments. And the manufacturer of the Twingos – Renault in France – is also involved. “Shakira, we will continue to support you,” the company wrote on Twitter. Headlines that give the new pop hit a tailwind – and of course also cause the streaming numbers to skyrocket.

The new single by US singer Miley Cyrus is even more successful. With the breakup anthem “Flowers”, which many people on the Internet also consider to be a revenge song, she dominates the charts worldwide. In the USA, Great Britain, Canada and Switzerland, among others, the 30-year-old has made it to the top.

In the hit, the former child star – apparently – reconciles her split from her ex-husband, actor Liam Hemsworth ’33, ‘The Hunger Games’. She sings about the fire in their house together. The single was released on January 13, exactly on the Australian actor’s birthday.The two had an on-off relationship for many years.They divorced about two years ago.

The fact that she is now doing better after the breakup is indicated by the actress with the words “new year, new Miley”, with which she announced her new single shortly after New Year’s Eve. In the music video she shows herself confidently in an extravagant golden dress and dances first in the Hollywood Hills and later in a man’s suit. “I can buy myself flowers” is the line that becomes catchy.

A breakup can be inspiring

Miley and Shakira aren’t the only ones singing about their grief. For other artists too, song and (love) sorrow are often close together. Justin Timberlake, for example, processed his separation from pop icon Britney Spears more than 20 years ago with the hit “Cry Me A River”, which roughly translates to “cry yourself out”. Britney is played by a double in the music video, which brought even more attention to the revenge song.

Authenticity is what makes revenge songs so successful, says musician and psychologist Michael Wecker in Berlin, who co-founded the Mental Health in Music association. Love is the subject of every second pop song. “Anyone who has written lyrics themselves knows that it’s really difficult to come up with something meaningful,” says the 40-year-old. What moves you and triggers something in you is often the fuel you use to write texts.

Artistically one is grateful for it, even if it is personally difficult or very stressful – as in the case of Shakira. The pop star and the ex-soccer world champion have two children together.

Breakups bring attention

The “real” attracts the audience and often turns revenge songs into hits, according to Wecker. They have a long tradition in music history. “In hip-hop and rap they are called diss tracks and they play a very important role,” says the music expert.

This is also confirmed by Gregor Schwachenbach from the Institute for Pop Music at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Bochum. “Revenge songs aren’t a genre of their own in music, but they come up all the time,” he explains. The relationship with the diss tracks is there, but the disputes in hip-hop and rap are much less personal. It’s more about marking out areas and saving face.

Wecker adds: “And here, too, everyone involved knows that disputes bring attention and clicks.” A nice side effect that Shakira and Miley Cyrus now also benefit from. “It makes marketing the songs easier when a song makes headlines and has a story behind it,” says Wecker.

But the whole thing has one disadvantage, according to Wecker: “The crux of the matter with the revenge songs is: You have to sing them over and over again, even if the love has long since been overcome.”

Tweet by Renault Shakira on Facebook Miley Cyrus on Facebook “Flowers” on Youtube “Session Music #53” on Youtube

dpa