Music Serves Society by Helping People Feel Seen

     Music serves society by helping people feel seen. Music is loved by everyone and is an important aspect in people's everyday lives. In the songs, The Great Divide by Noah Kahan and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper they show how people can connect to different types of music. 


The Great Divide

Have you heard a song and just really connected to it? I know I have. One of them is, The Great Divide by Noah Kahan, from his 2026 album The Great Divide. The composer is Noah Kahan and Gabe Simon. It was sung and produced by Noah Kahan. This song was first released on January 30, 2026 by Mercury Records. The county of origin is the United States.

 The lyrics in this song help the listener connect with the song. The song is about someone who is no longer in contact with a childhood friend. In the chorus, “I hope you settle down/ I hope you marry rich” he expresses his hope for his friend to be doing well and also he reflects on the choices he made in his friendship. Losing friends is never easy, this song I connect with. It makes me feel seen by putting my emotions into lyrics.

The dynamic changes during the chorus the song gets louder which emphasizes the lyrics. And in turn, it also shows his longing to know how his friend is doing. The tempo speeds up during the chorus and prechorus. This dynamic is adding emphasis to this part of the song. Making the lyrics, “I hope you settle down/ I hope you marry rich” stand out.




Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

The song, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is by Cyndi Lauper from her album, She's SO Unusual. This song came out in 1983 by Portrait Records. This song is composed by Robert Hazard. The country of origin is the United States.

The lyrics help the listener connect to the song. This song shows the pressures of how young women are expected to act a certain way. Girls from multiple generations have listened to this and felt seen. Growing up comes with challenges that you wouldn't expect, and expectations from your parents.“When the workin’ day is done/ Oh girls, they wanna have fun” This song shows how at the end of the day girls just wanna have fun. I used to listen to this as a kid and dance around with my sisters. In that time I related to the idea of just wanting to play and have fun instead of going to school or even to bed.

The dynamic of the song stays the same throughout the song. This helps the song have a fun and easy going vibe. The tempo throughout the song changes. The tempo is faster during the verses, during the chorus the tempo speeds up. 




Course Reflection

During this course I have explored many different types of music and genres. This has allowed me to broaden my music knowledge. Also with reading other students' blogs I have found new music to listen to, that I wouldn't have otherwise.



Sources

Kahan, Noah. "The Great Divide." The Great Divide, Mercury Records, 2026. 

Lauper, Cyndi. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” She's SO Unusual, Portrait Records, 1983.

Peralta, Lia. “Exploring Music's Impact on Society and Culture.” Save The Music Foundation, 21 Apr. 2026, www.savethemusic.org/blog/how-does-music-affect-society/. 

Wikipedia. “The Great Divide (Noah Kahan Song).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Apr. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Divide_(Noah_Kahan_song).

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