When I was younger I never realized there were so many pop songs with hidden messages. The amount is almost ridiculous! Even more ridiculous? The actual meanings of these songs! Let’s just say that these pop artists need to take a cold shower or visit a therapist! Here are a few pop songs with hidden messages.
One of the many pop songs with hidden messages that you probably sang along to when you were younger is "Genie in a Bottle." Personally, when I was younger I related this song to Genie from Aladdin. Well, I guess that was pretty ignorant of me. Forget all the sexual innuendos throughout the song, she literally sings “hormones racing at the speed of light”! That’s pretty fast and a little dangerous if you ask me.
The bubbly beat might have us tapping our feet, but it’s cloaking a coming-of-age narrative, veiled in the mythical concept of a genie's magic. Christina Aguilera's powerhouse vocals beckon listeners with a catchy chorus, yet the subtext navigates the complexities of burgeoning desires and consent. “You gotta rub me the right way” isn't just about granting wishes—it's a playful yet profound nudge towards respecting boundaries and the mutual fulfillment in relationships. The song became an anthem for self-assertion amidst the danceable innocence of '90s pop.
Even if you have never heard of this song before right now, I am pretty sure that if you are over 15 years old, you will already know what this song is about. Liquid dreams? Really? There was a band of five man-boys who got together to sing about that? Isn’t that considered an embarrassing topic for most boys?
Get ready to laugh... or cringe. When this song came out in 2000 I was a little too young to understand the full meaning of this song. In fact, with lyrics like “if you get down on me, I’ll get down on you,” I thought this song was more about having your partner’s back in rough times... you know, like a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” type of thing? Anyways, I’m little older now and when I listen to the song again, I’m starting to hear a few more things I didn’t catch before, like “let’s treat our bodies right.” Oh boy.
Up until today, as I did some research, I always thought this was meant to be a tender song. The vibe I get, and almost everyone else I’m sure, is friendship, comfort, and guidance. However, Sting, front man of The Police, admitted that he wrote this song during his divorce from his at-the-time wife. As a result, he felt jealous and controlling. Some of the lyrics, such as, “you belong to me,” and “every step you take, I’ll be watching you,” seem a little more obvious now...
I have a hard time believing this misinterpretation and you might too. First, the music video for this song sends the message that the song is about sex. Because so many people relate the lyrics and music video to sex, it might weird you out to find out that this song is actually about his grandmother’s cooking. I don’t know how I feel about that.
Nope, not about being romanced so deeply and heavily that you feel like you’ve died in your lover’s arms and gone up to heaven. This song is a play on words since, in French, “la petite mort” (the little death) is a term for an orgasm. I’m not so much weirded out that this song is about an orgasm. I’m more concerned that the French term for orgasm translates into “the little death.” I think they’re doing it wrong over there in France...
This is a pretty hard song to describe without getting inappropriate. Let me explain this in the most politically correct way possible... “If U Seek” sounds like the letters F, U and C. Furthermore, if you say “If you seek Amy” fast enough, “Amy” will sound like K and “me.” You can put the rest of it together yourself.
It’s crazy what artists can get away with when using double entendres and hidden messages. Do you think it’s appropriate that artists do that? What are some other songs with hidden or misunderstood messages?