︎



NOT TO BE:
AGAINST THE SELF



How can art, design, and making practices aid in
the realization and materialization of one’s identity?




ERIN MCCARTY
︎︎︎SPRING 2022

_01
ABSTRACT

_02
INTRODUCTION

_03
GLOSSARY OF TERMS

_04
FRAMEWORK

_05
DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
_06
VISUAL PROJECTS
_07
THESIS


_05 CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS



Analyzing song lyrics as a method of making – forming self-dialogue around identity. Lyrical music addressing the artist’s personal identity is commonly written about not fitting in due to external factors, and occasionally how one has become a new person as a result of this alienation. This similar structure across songs helps to build a close, personal connection with artists’ fans as well, who seek out and relate to these messages about being an outcast. By analyzing songs that follow this narrative, the various procedures for transforming the self is revealed. 




Methods for media collection ︎︎︎
Genius + lyric matches


Key word search ︎︎︎

“Identity/crisis”, “who are you/who am I”, “reconstruct/rebirth/reborn”, “my body is/my face is”, “ask myself/yourself”, “as a child/when I was young”, “play pretend”, “English + translation”.


Songs to exclude ︎︎︎

  • Songs written towards/for other people (romantic, break-ups, challenging, bragging).
  • Youtube videos, book/speech transcripts, musicals.
  • If a song description is provided and it doesn’t mention any of the themes to include.
  • Solely instrumental songs.


Songs to include ︎︎︎

  • Political or social commentary.
  • Song’s topic is specificall about the self (the singer).
  • Mentions of being an outcast
  • Commentary on dissatisfaction of self/society is a part of song’s overall narrative (ex: main commentary is on society, but how it effects the self is mentioned).
  • If a song description is provided and it mentions any of the themes to include.
  • If the song is a metaphor, that metaphor is explained in a provided song description/notation




Songs analyzed * ︎︎︎

Riquiqui by Arca ︎︎

iT by Christine and the Queens ︎︎

Immaterial by SOPHIE ︎︎
Faceshopping by SOPHIE ︎︎

Where’s Joanna? by HMLTD ︎︎
Joanna by HMLTD ︎︎
Ghost Town by Kanye West ︎︎
Lights Up by Harry Styles ︎︎
God Unbounded by Uboa ︎︎
My Body is a Cage by Arcade Fire ︎︎
Queen by Perfume Genius ︎︎
Seigfried by Frank Ocean ︎︎
Brick Body Complex by Open Mike Eagle ︎︎
Where Is My Mind? by Pixies ︎︎
Seen and Not Seen by Talking Heads ︎︎
Gold Purple Orange by Jean Grae + Quelle Chris ︎︎
Orchid by Nost. ︎︎
Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads ︎︎
Changes by 2Pac ︎︎
Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst by Kendrick Lamar︎︎
Everything Will Be OK by G-Eazy ︎︎
She by Harry Styles︎︎
Lizzie Velasquez by VERNON (버논) ︎︎
MASSA by Tyler, the Creator ︎︎
)))____◎◎◎◎█████ by Lil Ugly Mane ︎︎

*Note in 2023: I do not morally agree with some of the artists included in my analysis, so I removed the song links to these artists (Kanye West, Arcade Fire) so that these artists do not make some sort of profit from me by proxy. I left the link to the lyrics to still aid my analysis.



CYCLE OF THE SELF ︎︎︎