Perhaps Cupid hasn't got the message. But love songs have been changing over the years. Sure, The Heart Wants What It Wants, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, and Nobody Wants to Be Lonely. But music, it seems, might be falling out of love with love.
It's not new; the trend became clear almost six years ago, in 2018, when a study, which examined annual Billboard top 20 songs between 1996 and 2016, first spotted the decline. In 1996, 14 hits on the year-end chart were love songs. In 2016, there was only one.
Even with covers, the change is noticeable. Dolly Parton's Jolene, released 50 years ago, begged Jolene not to take her man. Beyonce's version, from March, warns Jolene not to come for her man.
Indian music, both mainstream and indie, has been going through changes of its own. Here's what some musicians make of love songs these days.
Yohan Marshall, 33, Mumbai
He's written a love song Jo Tu Mere Paas Hai (2024) for his wife, about how life feels easier when she's there; and written Act Like (2022), about the heartbreak that stems from changing for someone, and it still not working out.
Marshall is glad that love songs have more nuance, covering vulnerability and confusion rather than sappy promises. "People are sceptical about love in an age when young adults are lonely," he says. "We want to find the right person, but there's online dating, ghosting and swiping. So, it's harder to date, commit and find true love."
Marshall's July release, Bawra Mann, talks about living a busy life, falling in love with someone and finally feeling understood. "I wish modern pop would get more personal," he says.
Nisa Shetty, 30, Mumbai
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 31, 2024 من Brunch.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 31, 2024 من Brunch.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Let's tri all the angles
BFFs falling for the same girl, kidnap twists, murders, bromances. These 10 three-way love stories play with geometry and our feelings
Should you Q up for this?
Audi's luxury SUV, the Q8, has had a refresh. But a sleeker grille and headlight tech don't make up for what's still missing
How to plan a great escape
It's getting colder. It's already hard to breathe. Why not plan a winter vacation that's a world away but not too far away?
Kababs, yes, but khandvi too
Mughlai cuisine has as many vegetarian dishes as meaty ones. A new translation of a 16th century manuscript shows how we ate, and why modern labels are pointless
I can be your hero
Gurfateh Pirzada, only afewroles old, is the green flag we didn't know we needed. He's learning from women. He wants to be more thana lover and a fighter. He's hoping we all do better. No wonder everyone's crushing on him
Meet the export experts
Khadi crop-tops in Spain, faux-leather hoodies in London, fairytale wedding gowns in the UAE. See how some desi labels are killing it on foreign shores
Why we're all feeling Blue
Coco Mellors's new novel is about grief, sisterhood, and of course, addiction and unlikeable women. How does she make it work?
This week, we're...
Changing the momo game, listening to kids, starting a new business, and supporting pro waxxers
Rohit Chawla
Photographer, artist, @RohitChawlaPhotography_
Congratulations, it's a goal
Lakeside vows, pastel palettes, bayous, backyards and boats. These celeb weddings are what modern fairytales are made of
