Data Shows Pop Music is Getting Sadder

A data firm analysed 25 years of Billboard Hot 100 lyrics and confirmed what we've all been feeling—pop music is getting way sadder and angstier. They tracked moods like heartbreak, joy, angst and love across thousands of songs, and tracks invoking angst and heartbreak are dominating the charts now (hello Billie Eilish, Sam Smith, and Die With A Smile). Love songs are still hanging in there, but here's the kicker: "despair" started spiking sharply after 2020. Apparently the pandemic really said let's make everything a vibe check, and pop music took notes.

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