The Girl With The Lowest Self-Esteem In Pop Music

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The Girl With The Lowest Self-Esteem In Pop Music

12:30 pm, November 9th | by Sarah Devlin

I’m an unabashed lover of pop music (seriously, my taste is so terrible that I guard my iTunes library like it’s my diary), and in my decade of intense pop fandom, I’ve noticed a disturbing motif in many popular songs: that of the ‘girl with terrible self esteem.’

This girl is either the narrator of the song or the subject of it; she’s either being instructed on how to pull herself out of depression, describing how she managed to turn her frown upside down, having her happiness adopted as a personal quest by a dude, or if she’s Flo Rida’s girl, getting Monday morning quarterbacked during a sex act. It must be exhausting, since she’s been moping around the pop music world for years. Her longevity is a sign that it’s a successful model for songwriters, but why?

Here are a couple of the more egregious ‘girl with low self-esteem’ pop songs in pop music to ponder, along with a handful of antidotes from the likes of Sia, Ne-Yo — although he’s also one of our offenders, that traitor — and Webbie (Who is that, you ask? Don’t worry about it).

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1.Bruno Mars

Oh, her eyes, her eyes

Make the stars look like they're not shinin'

Her hair, her hair

Falls perfectly without her trying

She's so beautiful

And I tell her everyday (yeahh)

I know, I know

When I compliment her she won't believe me

And it's so, it's so

Sad to think that she don't see what I see

But every time she asks me "Do I look okay?"

I say...

2.One Direction

You're insecure

Don't know what for

You're turning heads when you walk

through the door

Don't need make up

To cover up

Being the way that you are is enough

3.Justin Bieber

If I was your boyfriend

never let you go

Keep you on my arm girl

You'd never be alone

I can be a gentleman, anything you want

If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go

I'd never let you go

4.*NSYNC

When the visions around you

Bring tears to your eyes

And all that surrounds you

Are secrets and lies

I'll be your strength

I'll give you hope

Keeping your faith when it's gone

The one you should call

Was standing there all along

5.Taylor Swift

Well, maybe it's just me

and my blind optimism to blame

Or maybe it's you and your sick need to give love then take it away

And you'll add my name to your long list of traitors who don't understand

And I'll look back and regret how I ignored when they said run as fast as you can

Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone

Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?

The girl in the dress cried the whole way home

Dear John, I see it all now it was wrong

Don't you think nineteen's too young to be played with?

Your dark twisted games when I loved you so

I should've known

6.Demi Lovato

Skies are crying, I am watching

Catching teardrops in my hands

Only silence, as it's ending, like we never had a chance.

Do you have to make me feel like, there's nothing left of me?

7.Paramore

Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul

that love never lasts.

And we've got to find other ways

to make it alone.

Or keep a straight face.

And I've always lived like this

keeping a comfortable distance.

And up until now I've sworn to myself

that I'm content with loneliness.

Because none of it was ever worth the risk.

8.*NSYNC

That's when I'll stop loving you

I'm sure you've heard these words before

And I know it's hard for you to trust them once more

You're afraid it all might end

And a broken heart is scared of breaking again

But you've gotta believe me

I'll never leave you

You'll never cry long as I am there

And I will always be there

You will never be without love

9.Ne-Yo

Much as you blame yourself,

You can't be blamed for the way that you feel

Had no example of a love,

That was even remotely real

How can you understand

Something that you never had?

Ooh, baby, if you let me,

I can help you out with all of that

Girl, let me love you,

And I will love you,

Until you learn to love yourself

Girl, let me love you,

I know your trouble

Don't be afraid,

Girl, let me help

Girl, let me love you,

And I will love you,

Until you learn to love yourself

10.Flo Rida

I'm a damn shame, order more champagne

Pulled a damn ham string, trying to put it on ya

Bet your lips spin back around corner

Slow it down baby, take a little longer

Can you blow my whistle, baby?

Whistle, baby, let me know

Girl, I'm gonna show you how to do it

And we start real slow

You just put your lips together

And you come real close

Can you blow my whistle, baby?

Whistle, baby, here we go

11.Ellie Goulding

I had a way then losing it all on my own

I had a heart then but the queen has been overthrown

And I'm not sleeping now, the dark is too hard to beat

And I'm not keeping now, the strength I need to push me

You show the lights that stop me turn to stone

You shine it when I'm alone

And so I tell myself that I'll be strong

And dreaming when they're gone

12.Lana Del Rey

I've been out on that open road

You can be my full time, daddy

White and gold

Singing blues has been getting old

You can be my full time, baby

Hot or cold

Don't break me down

I've been traveling too long

I've been trying too hard

With one pretty song

I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast

I am alone in the night

Been trying hard not to get into trouble, but I

I've got a war in my mind

So, I just ride

13.Sia

You shout it loud, but I can't hear a word you say

I'm talking loud, not saying much

I'm criticized, but all your bullets ricochet

you shoot me down, but I get up

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose

fire away, fire away

ricochet, you take your aim

fire away, fire away

you shoot me down, but I won't fall

I am titanium

you shoot me down, but I won't fall

I am titanium

14.Webbie

I-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t

do you know what that mean mayne?

I-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t do you know what that mean?

She got her own house

She got her own car

Two jobs, work hard, you a bad broad

15.Ne-Yo

Ooh there's somethin' about

Kinda woman that can do for herself

I look at her and it makes me proud

There's somethin' about her

There’s somethin' oh so sexy about

Kinda woman that don't even need my help

She said she got it, she got it, no doubt

There's something about her

'Cause she work like a boss, play like a boss

Car and a crib, she 'bout to pay 'em both off

And her bills are paid on time

She made for a boss, only a boss

Anythin' less she tellin' them to get lost

That's the girl that's on my mind

TAGS: one direction | Pop Music | Slide Shows

http://twitter.com/SmartPopScott SmartPop

I love this! Though I do wish it were more in depth in trying to answer the “why?”.
Sarah Devlin

Thanks! I mean, I really don’t know the “why” of it. My best guess would be because the largest market for this music is teenage girls (and, ahem, twentysomethings) and they probably respond well to the whole “hey girl, I’ll make you feel better/let me patronize you for a sec” thing? But then I worry that I’m not being very charitable to teenage girls…

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