How many of us listen to songs despite not understanding their words because we don’t know the language?
Well, that’s my love story with Korean music – I don’t only mean K-pop here, but also K-drama OSTs. While I go on to regularly listen to some from my simply called “K” playlist, I go on to stay pretty clueless about what’s being said. However, with most, if not all, songs having a few lyrics in English, it helps me to at least sense the mood of the song. Despite the language barrier, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s awesome music, nor does it stop my appreciation. Therefore, when I first started listening to music in languages foreign to me, I wondered: what’s in it that connects me to them?
Literally, no one is stopping us from using Google Translate. But in an article for Vice News, Santos says that translating might not make a difference, as he explores the concept of “sound symbolism.” Sound symbolism suggests that we usually enjoy the sounds more than the lyrics as there are notes and tones to reflect moods. With pitch, melody, and other elements, the music itself has the lead role of carrying the words, “From the way the words are sung, to the way the voice is used.” But that doesn’t mean that lyrics are any less significant. A lot of the times, we do want lyrics that we can comprehend to speak to us and our present emotions.
Speaking of which, words can’t always help us feel the way rhythm and voice can. One of my favourite songs “Con La Brisa” from Wakanda Forever is a perfect relaxation song, and that’s maybe because of how it was picturised in the film. Thus, visuals can also make it easier for us to understand a song which we might end up appreciating, especially when we see the context in which the song is shown. Sung in Spanish, this song depicts the scene where an amazed Shuri sees an underwater city for the first time and explores it. It conveys the emotions of new love, discovery and freedom which is also evident from the vocals of Foudeqush.
By listening to music from all over the world, we not only discover the different styles of music but also learn more about the various cultures out there. Many genres of music such as K-pop have influenced people beyond borders, becoming a global phenomenon. It shows how music and our love for it can connect us to each other.
After all, like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, ”Music is the universal language of mankind”.