Images

It's easy to believe that people create images of themselves based on their physical appearance.  Do singers create an image by the songs they perform?  They do in fact build images by how they appear in videos and on stage, but the songs themselves - are they a factor?

I'll start with Miley Cyrus.  She has created the image of being rebellious and daring by defying previously molded behavior that was sculpted by no, not her, but us.  She was a "Disney" star, and while I love Disney and absolutely everything they offer, Miley knew that the only way she could break away from what made her famous (Hannah Montana) was to be everything they didn't want her to be.  "We Can't Stop" is a badass song.  The lyrics are scandalous and the video is even worse, but it's still a good and popular song.  But take away the physical aspects of everything and just listen to it.  It's still scandalous, right?  And the way the song sounds molds an image of what Miley should look like based solely on how the song was written. 

Now I'll talk about One Direction.  They always sing about girls and falling in love and falling out of love.  "What Makes You Beautiful" is the perfect example of being in love with a girl.  He throughout the song tells her that she lights up his life and how flipping her hair makes him overwhelmed.  Does the song make them look like romantics and great to go out with?  It sure sounds like it, right?  The mushy lyrics develop an image for the boys that they are sweet teenagers, and that is the image they created for themselves.