Journal articles on the topic 'Reggaeton songs'

Abstract Reggaetón music is very popular among Spanish speaking young people of high school-age. Thus, we intend to examine the values of (in)equality between women and men transmitted in the lyrics of this music genre. Using a Maxqda software-assisted Thematic Analysis methodology, the lyrics of 65 reggaetón songs with the most commercial success during 2020 have been analysed. The results suggest that the most commercialised reggaetón continues to reproduce certain traditional masculine stereotypes (machismo). In the discussion we compare and contrast alternative approaches and positions concerning the reggaetón genre. We feel it is necessary that educational spaces adopt a critical and consciousness raising approach to reggaetón due to the powerful influence exerted on young people regarding sexual stereotypes.

Currently there is a great variety of musical styles that coexist in our society. We can access music in very different ways and with immediacy never before imagined. For teenagers, music is a key element in defining their identity, socializing and taking refuge in their inner world. 
 
 This communication focuses on the analysis of songs from the Reggaeton music genre and the way in which students receive them. The co-educational proposal carried out in a private secondary school in Barcelona will be explained. Its main objectives will be, on the one hand, to foster a critical spirit in the students towards these types of songs and, on the other hand, to offer an education in terms of equality that deconstructs myths and stereotypes.

Abstract This article examines Cuban-American rapper Pitbull’s use of Spanish in his seven English albums, drawing from the literature on lyrical code-switching and Sarkar and Winer’s (2006) socio-pragmatic framework for the analysis of multilingual code-switching in Quebec rap. It was found that Pitbull’s highest rates of Spanish language use appear in songs with hegemonic masculinity as main topic, and that Spanish switches are used mostly for emphasis/translation, and for enacting a hypersexual, hypermasculine identity consistent with rap and reggaeton expectations of masculinity. Pitbull’s use of Spanish legitimizes Latinos’ code-switching practices and allows him to articulate a bilingual/bicultural Latino rapper identity, but also perpetuates stereotypes that link Spanish and Spanish-speaking men to sex and sexuality.

In this special edition on popular music, we seek to explore Simon Frith’s (1978, The sociology of rock, London, UK: Constable, p. 39) argument that: ‘Music’s presence in youth culture is established but not its purpose’. ‘Songs that sing the crisis’ captures contemporary accounts, which build upon popular music’s legacy, courage and sheer determination to offer social and cultural critique of oppressive structures or political injustice as they are being lived by young people today. Young people have consistently delivered songs that have focused on struggles for social rights, civil rights, women’s rights and ethnic and sexual minorities rights through creative anger, emotion and resistance, and we know that music matters because we consciously feel the song (DeNora, 2000, Music in everyday life, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). However, in the aftermath of the post-2008 global economic and cultural crises, young people, in particular, have faced austerity, social hardship and political changes, which have impacted on their future lives (France, 2016, Understanding youth in the global economic crisis, Bristol: Policy Press; Kelly & Pike, 2017, Neo-liberalism and austerity: The moral economies of young people’s health and well-being, London, UK: Palgrave). This special issue assesses the key contestation where popular music is a mechanism to not only challenge but to think through ordinary people’s experience and appeals for social justice. The present introduction starts by presenting the historical and theoretical background of this research field. Then, it introduces the articles about the songs that sing the crisis in Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Egypt and Tunisia through the rhythms of rap, hip-hop, fado, electronic pop, indie rock, reggaeton, metal and mahragan.

In this Middle Eight using ethnographic observation and interviews made in Cuba in May–July 2005 and March–April 2006 I problematise the new Latina/o dance music ‘reggaetón’ which in the USA is being heralded as ‘‘an expression of pan-Latino identity … the latest Latin musical style to sweep the world … the one with the most promise of finding a permanent, prominent place not just in US but in global popular culture …” (Marshall, 2006). Notably along with hip-hop with which it is now related in Cuban cultural politics, this is the first pan-Latin style of non-Cuban origin to have a strong presence in post-‘Special period’ 1990s revolutionary Cuba. I focus on the significance and possible history of the dance moves and the lyrics of two key songs, discussing possible political double meanings and implications within a Cuban context. While focusing particularly on issues of regeton in Cuba, I place regeton in Cuba in the larger context of reggaetón history in the Latin world and of Latin dance history and discuss it within the constant construction of an appropriate Cuban national identity. I pose open questions about gender, sexuality and generational attitudes. The overall theoretical context falls within the context of Järviluoma et al's work on ‘gender as cultural construction’ (2003). It builds on work on gender and dance which forms a small part of Fairley (2004).

Abstract: Since the end of the 19th century, under the cloak of hygienic concerns, Puerto Rican elites have devised eugenic practices and methods in order to marginalize, manage, and control certain sectors of the population. Throughout the 20th century, these discourses have been internalized by the Puerto Rican population; reflections of which can be seen in popular culture, including trap and reggaetón. The purpose of this paper is to explore how hygienic practices (rooted in eugenic ideas) have permeated Puerto Rican society and, in turn, are replicated in trap and reggaetón as a way of gendering, racializing, and discriminating against certain groups. In an effort to identify these contemporary eugenic ideas, this article categorizes and analyzes current topics touched upon by trap and reggaetón singers such as Tego Calderón, Jowell y Randy, Anuel AA, and Bryant Myers, among others. Through categories such as desired body type, prospective partners’ ‘cleanliness’—in regard to ‘feminine’ and ‘personal’ hygiene—, potential contraceptive use, and the usage of racist stereotyping, we illustrate how eugenic ideas slip into contemporary understandings of gender and race in Puerto Rico. By performing an in-depth analysis of selected songs, we explore the ways in which ideas surrounding ‘race science’ have been normalized in Puerto Rican culture, demonstrating how these ideas connect to broader racializing and gendered processes. Resumen: Desde finales del siglo XIX, bajo el manto de las preocupaciones higiénicas, las élites puertorriqueñas han ideado prácticas y métodos eugenésicos para marginar, administrar y controlar a ciertos sectores de la población. A lo largo del siglo XX, estos discursos han sido interiorizados por la población puertorriqueña; los cuales se pueden ver reflejados en la cultura popular, incluyendo el trap y el reggaetón. El propósito de este artículo es explorar cómo las prácticas higiénicas (enraizadas en ideas eugenésicas) han permeado la sociedad puertorriqueña y, a su vez, se replican en el trap y el reggaetón como una forma de generizar, racializar y discriminar a ciertos grupos. En un esfuerzo por identificar estas ideas eugenésicas contemporáneas, este artículo categoriza y analiza temas actuales abordados por cantantes de trap y reggaetón como Tego Calderón, Jowell y Randy, Anuel AA y Bryant Myers, entre otros. A través de categorías como el tipo de cuerpo deseado, la “limpieza” de las posibles parejas —en lo que respecta a la higiene “femenina” y “personal”—, el uso potencial de anticonceptivos y el uso de estereotipos racistas, ilustramos cómo las ideas eugenésicas se deslizan en la comprensión contemporánea del género y la raza en Puerto Rico. Al realizar un análisis en profundidad de canciones seleccionadas, exploramos las formas en que las ideas en torno a la “ciencia racial” se han normalizado en la cultura puertorriqueña, demostrando cómo estas ideas se conectan con procesos de género y racialización más amplios. Résumé: Depuis la fin du XIXe siècle, sous le couvert de préoccupations hygiéniques, les élites portoricaines ont imaginé des pratiques et des méthodes eugéniques afin de marginaliser, gérer et contrôler certains secteurs de la population. Tout au long du XXe siècle, ces discours ont été intériorisés par la population portoricaine ; dont on peut voir des reflets dans la culture populaire, y compris le trap et le reggaetón. Le but de cet article est d’explorer comment les pratiques hygiéniques (enracinées dans les idées eugénistes) ont imprégné la société portoricaine et, à leur tour, sont reproduites dans le trap et le reggaetón comme un moyen de sexuer, de racialiser et de discriminer certains groupes. Dans un effort pour identifier ces idées eugénistes contemporaines, cet article catégorise et analyse les sujets actuels abordés par les chanteurs de trap et de reggaetón tels que Tego Calderón, Jowell y Randy, Anuel AA et Bryant Myers, entre autres. À travers des catégories telles que le type de corps souhaité, la « propreté » des partenaires potentiels —en ce qui concerne l’hygiène « féminine » et « personnelle » —, l’utilisation potentielle de contraceptifs et l’utilisation de stéréotypes racistes, nous illustrons comment les idées eugéniques se glissent dans les compréhensions contemporaines du genre et de la race à Porto Rico. En effectuant une analyse approfondie de chansons sélectionnées, nous explorons la manière dont les idées entourant la « science raciale » ont été normalisées dans la culture portoricaine, démontrant comment ces idées se connectent à des processus plus larges de racialisation et de genre.

This study analyses the instances of feminism in a reggaeton song consulting a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA). It interprets these instances and provides a description to what they intend to present from a feminist perspective. It also attempts to find out what are the visual semiotic choices that the song presents to the audience such as the attributes, settings and salience. Finally, it aimed to explore how these elements are represented in the video. To achieve the goal of the study, I created a table where I included the visual semiotic elements previously mentioned. This table presents the three scenes that were chosen to be analyzed from the video and the semiotics elements according to the MCDA by Machin and Mayr (2012). Regarding the results of the study, they show that the visuals of the video represent instances where women have the power to stop men from abusing them. Even when the visuals show some fictional scenes, the interpretation is that women have the right and the power to make themselves be respected by men. In addition, the results showed as a reminder that there are movements which are there to help women in these injustices. Finally, in the last part of the song the final idea about the resistance of men violating women is represented as the final result of this study.

Music consumption is widely recognized as an important facet of everyday life, and the use of algorithms by online streaming services to suggest songs has aroused a growing scientific interest in how musical preferences are structured. However, existing studies have failed to include Latin genres of music. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and validate a measure to assess the musical preferences of Spanish-speaking teenagers and adults. To do this, two independent studies were developed ( N1 = 312 Spanish teenagers; N2 = 345 Spanish-speaking adults) using an instrument based on a theoretical structure consisting of 20 musical genres, which reflects the MUSIC model. The results indicated the exclusion of reggaetón for both groups, and confirmed the proposed theory of five dimensions of musical preferences: (a) Intense: emphasis on low sounds and use of electronic instruments; (b) Sophisticated: complex musical structure, dissonant harmonies, and melodies that explore unconventional patterns and diversified rhythms; (c) Contemporary: striking rhythm, emphasis on percussion and electronic instruments, versatility in the prosodic construction of lyrics, and often linked to themes such as inequality and social injustice; (d) Moving: strong connection to dance, especially partner dances, with strong potential for socialization; (e) Unpretentious: music with strong cultural roots specific to the research context. In conclusion, the Scale for Musical Preferences Assessment proved to be an effective instrument for assessing the musical preferences of teenagers and adults, presenting a standard structure for both groups, although there were differences in their perception of musical genres.