Analysis of Brazilian and North American popular songs dealing with emotions and suffering
Paper long abstract:
Popular music is a key instance for looking at the imaginary of different societies. It reflects day-to-day life, cultural values, and above all expression of emotions. As in other countries, in Brazil and the United States, the majority of composers are men, and they tend to use music as one of the few public spheres in which they allow themselves to speak more freely about their private feelings. They will sing about their weaknesses, their fear of loss, and their sentiments toward women. Suffering, related to love, abandonment, and lack of money is a central element both in Brazilian and North American popular music of the 20th Century and my paper will compare how it is expressed in different songs.