Song lyrics getting simpler, more repetitive, angry and self-obsessed – study

Overall reaction to the study

• Many agree that mainstream lyrics feel simpler, more repetitive, self-focused, and predictable (e.g., verse–chorus formulas, shorter songs, TikTok/stream-optimized).
• Others say this is partly “old people vs. new music” and note that complaints about “kids’ music” are ancient.
• Several argue that simple ≠ bad; minimalism, punk, techno, and dance music often use repetition intentionally and effectively.

Historical comparisons

• Multiple commenters point out that earlier eras also had extremely simple or nonsense lyrics; selective memory makes the past seem more profound.
• Others argue that certain past peaks (’60s–’70s rock, swing, American Songbook, prog) had more lyrical and harmonic complexity than most current top‑40.
• Some note that the study’s time window (1970–2020) might bias the trend; including earlier decades could flatten it.

Methodology and data criticism

• The Nature paper is linked and partially dissected.
• One commenter argues the paper’s framing (“popular songs getting more repetitive”) is misleading because:
  • The analysis uses a curated subset, not explicit “top 40” over time.
  • Popularity-over-time data exists in the source dataset but isn’t used; reported results find no relationship between current listen counts and repetitiveness.
• Others ask about magnitude of change, which the media summary doesn’t make clear.

Industry, algorithms, and incentives

• Strong theme: the trend is driven less by “dumber listeners” and more by:
  • Profit optimization, oligopolistic labels, and curated playlists.
  • Recommendation algorithms favoring safe, homogeneous, hook-heavy tracks.
  • Globalization: to appeal to wider, more diverse audiences, music converges toward simpler, broadly accessible features (including simpler English).

Pop vs. niches; “golden age” arguments

• Several argue we’re in a “golden age” of music overall: cheap production, massive catalogs, and thriving niche scenes with complex or experimental work.
• Others counter that subscription/algorithm control is dystopian, though many note you can still buy DRM‑free music.
• A recurring point: “pop is dead” as a unified culture; serious or complex work has migrated to many fragmented subcultures rather than the charts.

Aesthetics, value judgments, and taste

• Commenters complain the thread reveals strong, tedious value judgments around taste (“your music is dumb” vs. “you’re a snob”).
• Some stress that popularity and artistic quality are different things; others argue making something tens of millions enjoy is itself very hard.