{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"16456471","dateCreated":"1257441929","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"alisongoo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/alisongoo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16456471"},"dateDigested":1532139997,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"A Different Take on Music","description":"Looking at these modern pieces of music at an analytical viewpoint was very interesting. For me when I listen to music I don\u2019t necessarily pick apart the message, or the tone, or the connation of the music. Having done so for this assignment gave me another perspective to the music I often hear on the radio.
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\nThe first music video I watched was \u201cMiss Independent,\u201d by Ne-Yo. The title immediately gives the audience the feeling that the song is going to be one that empowers women. Having the women in the song be independent, powerful and assertive helps to enforce that strength and empowerment women have. However, from the start of the video Ne-Yo is surrounded by \u201chot\u201d women. Their dress is somewhat provocative and their manner is somewhat seductive using their sexuality to get what they want. This factor may just be to lure the audience. But either way the video sheds a new light on women, one not often seen in recent music videos\u2014women as the boss calling the shots.
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\nThe music video, \u201cRun This Town,\u201d by Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kayne West, also show women in a completely different way than in the \u201cMiss Independent\u201d video. \u201cRun This Town,\u201d is a very dark and violent video. It makes references to gangs, weapons, and power. Rihanna, the main female character, was portrayed as very tough. She is shown as someone who does what she wants and doesn\u2019t care what anyone says. But the violence in the video is pretty extreme.
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\n\u201cRussian Roulette,\u201d by Rihanna and \u201cCrawl\u201d by Chris Brown are the two singers feeling about the public issue of physical abuse. The two songs were very contrasting. Rihanna\u2019s was extremely dark, while Chris Brown\u2019s was more of a plea for forgiveness and begging for her back.
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\n\u201cGunpowder and Lead,\u201d by Miranda Lambert, was also a song aimed to empower women. She sings about being physically abused and seeking revenge. She refers to herself as a shotgun. Some of her lyrics were somewhat extreme and violent, like \u201cRun This Town.\u201d
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\nAll in all giving music an analytical look can change the meaning of a song.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"16431265","dateCreated":"1257408377","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"Supergroovalisticprosifunksticat","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Supergroovalisticprosifunksticat","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16431265"},"dateDigested":1532139997,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"OMG SEXIST MUSIC","description":"The various songs were surely interesting samples of the popular contemporary music. I normally don't listen to modern music, as I find a lot of it lacks depth and deep conviction for music. However, I found the artists I watched to be quite involved in their music beyond what I expected of them.
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\nThe first video of Miss Independent I found somewhat interesting. Ne Yo states throughout the video that he wants an independent strong minded women with power. He finds a women who has her affairs in order to be attractive. The video seems a bit contradictory to this message though. While some points do emphasize his message of independence, the opening scene shows many women swooned by his mere presence, a far from empowering situation. The overt sexuality of it, however, I do not find to contradict his message. A woman comfortable in her sexuality and accepting of her sexual desires is one that is independent from the social constraints that usually say she is not allowed to do such.
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\nThe second video of Run This Town was interesting as well. I though the cinematography was very well done, and the video conveyed a feeling very well. I think the video was overall empowering for women because it showed Rihanna as a total equal to her fellow male stars. She is given one of the central roles in the video, and isn't especially distinguished from for being female. She truly is equal, and I think that's the true definition of empowered.
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\nThe last two songs obviously deal with the physical abuse the passed between the likes of Chris Brown and Rihanna. I think both the songs convey the idea that they both still have feelings for each other and are interested, but the more important factor is the emotional mood tied to such sentiments. Rihanna's song is far more haunting and torn than that of Chris Brown's. The very lyrics imply that she feels almost trapped into the relationship with Chris Brown, and while she can't leave, she doesn't particularly enjoy it. Chris Brown song, ironically, was much more jovial. The tonality of the song was more major based, giving it a happier sound. While apologizing, it sounds more like Brown sees their reuniting as an eventuality rather than something he should fret over.
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\nThe final video was interesting in that it addressed the usage of guns to empower women. In order to show strength, the women must use a gun and can't be seen just as an equal I think that this is misconstrued and incorrect and hopefully such ideas can be thrown out.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"16394867","dateCreated":"1257362722","smartDate":"Nov 4, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"loyamash","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/loyamash","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16394867"},"dateDigested":1532139997,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Women in Music","description":"After listening to the songs, women are not very empowered in music. Most of the time, women are portrayed as using their sexuality as a way to promote the music and to get ahead. In the first two songs by Rhianna and Ne-Yo, the songs are kind of empowering to women. The first talking about a women being independent and taking care of herself and the second having Rhianna want to run the town. However, in the videos, the opposite is true. The videos just support women being objects and using their sexuality.
\nThe songs between Chris Brown and Rhianna are very contrasting. Rhianna's song is very dark and Chris Brown's is more hopeful and encouraging. It brings up the issue of violence in a relationship and the different takes from each point of view.
\nTypically, women sing of how much they need a man in their life. However, for women to feel power adn importance, these songs are aimed at putting the man down, as seen in the last song "Gunpowder and Lead".","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"16386305","dateCreated":"1257354771","smartDate":"Nov 4, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"kachikam","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kachikam","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16386305"},"dateDigested":1532139997,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Music","description":"Wow! I have never thought deeply about music videos, but now that I have been assigned this project, the images are quite shocking. The music video Miss Independent by Ne-Yo had clips of women that boys would love! And at the end the "independent" woman apologizes and is wants to know how to make up for her mistake? Is this video aimed for boys and what is it trying to get across to the viewers??? I thought Run This Town by Rihanna and Jay-Z was extremely scary and violent. I sort of tuned out of the song at times because I was getting mesmerized by the guys hitting the sticks together with the fire behind them. Yikes! I might have liked the music video better if it was presented differently. Russian Roulette by Rihanna was interesting if you listened closely to the lyrics. This whole idea of the man telling her to go and take a chance of death is wrong. I guess you could relate it to relationships... some guys you date might be really bad for you and it's sort of the luck of the draw. But you shouldn't continue to play his game. You should just walk out and leave him immediately. Chris Brown's Crawl in my opinion was his way of saying that he will try to be a better man, and that he will crawl until he can run and fly. Should we support him and listen to his music even after all that he did to Rihanna?","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"16360275","dateCreated":"1257320364","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"kekaneta","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kekaneta","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16360275"},"dateDigested":1532139997,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"let's hear it for the boys??","description":"When I listen to music, I usually just listen, not deconstruct. This assignment gave me a chance to go beyond the beat and dig into the messages of these songs.
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\nThe first song, Miss Independent, is one that I have heard a lot. From his songs, I think Ne-Yo to be a sensitive, heartfelt artist with no lack of charm. The latter was clear in the song's music video and although I saw the video going differently in my head, I was not shocked to see an entire office-ful of physically attractive women. Ne-Yo is crooning about this "Independent Woman" which he has fallen for, but at the same time is paying attention to the other woman. The concept is a little confusing since his actions contradict his words, but sex sells and I guess that was deemed necessary in the production of the video. Just listening to the lyrics however was refreshing because you hear Ne-Yo wanting this girl for her independent nature. It sends the message that being a strong and motivated woman is positive and attractive.
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\nThe second song, Run this Town, is a song that I like to hear while driving at night. It's one of those songs that gets you going and I always thought of it as a song which marked Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye's entrance and dominance in the hip-hop\/rap industry. I thought that in itself was empowering because they have all come such a long way and have finally reached "ultimate success." After watching the video though, I was a little shocked by its intensity. Also shocking was the darkness and edginess of Rihanna's performance because it seems that she has not only gained, but has also become hardened by the industry. I went to watch her perform a few years back and this Rihanna seems very different from the one that I saw singing more upbeat tunes like Pon De Replay. Again, it's empowering that these guys are at the top of "roc nation," but at the same time their glory is portrayed by guns and violence.
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\nRussian Roulette and Crawl were very interesting because both obviously deal with the other artist. Russian Roulette was written by Ne-Yo I think, just as many of her hits were, and deals with this chilling dilemma between life and death. I don't really know what to think of this song other than its her fearlessly singing about some her most vulnerable feelings. It seems that she's scared of him because he holds the power in their relationship. When I think of this, I can't help of think of her past with Chris Brown...which brings me to the second song, Crawl. I think that this ballad is also a look into Rihanna and Brown's relationship. While Rihanna takes a harsher approach and seems to have moved passed it, Brown seems to lament on the past and seems to have reached a point where he can only now hope for reconciliation. He is definitely trying to portray himself as a changed man, but I don't know if the world is ready to completely let go and forgive.
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\nFinally, Gun Powder and Lead seemed empowering, but more focused on revenge than making right. It was a little Dixie Chicks and Carrie Underwood-esque (it reminded me of Before He Cheats) and overall, more upbeat than all of the other songs which makes it seem more empowering to me.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"16321361","dateCreated":"1257273548","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"rachelkaya","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rachelkaya","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16321361"},"dateDigested":1532139997,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Women in Music","description":"Most of these songs are so violent and many were full of revenge and anger. It was interesting though, because "Russian Roulette", "Run This Town" and "Gunpowder and Lead" were performed by females and these songs were possibly the most violent sounding. I think that a female singing a song about guns is less intimidating than if a man were to sing it. If a man sang "Gunpowder and Lead" as opposed to Miranda Lambert, he would sound crazy. If a song came out about man who is angry about being mistreated by his girlfriend and now carries a gun would raise interesting commentary. This would be a very controversial subject, but when a woman sings it, the result is a crowd happily singing along as she performs it at an award show.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"16341191","body":"Good observation, Rachel. There does seem to be a double standard working here.","dateCreated":"1257291690","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"MsFalk","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/MsFalk","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1250807416\/MsFalk-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"16313651","dateCreated":"1257267585","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"loganokie05","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/loganokie05","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16313651"},"dateDigested":1532139997,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Modern Music","description":"In the song \u201cMiss Independent,\u201d Ne-Yo sings about how he loves a woman for her independence. The song is definitely empowering for women because I cannot recall any part of the song where he degrades women. For example, the woman always acts like a boss, she pays for her own bills, and can fend for herself. The music video tells a completely different story. There are barely any men in the office, and every woman seems to be dressed in \u201csexy\u201d clothes. The video may defeat the purpose of the song, but people in the modern society expect these types of videos to be made.
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\n\u201cRun This Town\u201d is practically the opposite of \u201cMiss Independent.\u201d In \u201cRun This Town,\u201d Rihanna appears as a strong individual. She is dressed in all black and engaged in the gang warfare occurring. The music video seems empowering for women, but the lyrics speak differently. Kanye raps a few lines that talk about women in a degrading manner, and even Jay-Z slips a line or two.
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\nAfter the Rihanna-Chris Brown incident, the two artists seem to fire at each other back and forward with their music. In \u201cRussian Roulette,\u201d Rihanna sings about practically being forced to pull the trigger. Chris is probably at the other end making her do this move. Or maybe Rihanna is hiding the true meaning of the song where she ultimately kills Chris. I am not entirely sure about the real meaning of this song, but somehow the song is related to their relationship.
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\nAs a fan of Chris Brown\u2019s music, I enjoyed the song \u201cCrawl.\u201d Chris is attempting to be the good guy in the relationship and stating he and Rihanna have to move forward in their relationship even if it takes a while. Chris may be using this song to help his appearance, but the vast majority of the public knows Chris was at fault in the incident.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"16318379","body":"I totally agree with your idea about Miss Independent because that is what I noticed. Th lyrics and the music video go against eachother.
\nI never thought about how she looks strong, which is very true. I agree with the fact that the lyrics were very degrading at points.
\nYes I said something about the whole Rihanna and Chris Brown thng. How they go back and forth with songs.
\nI agree he does try to be the good guy in the thing, even though he wasn't.","dateCreated":"1257271803","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"aolsen24","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/aolsen24","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"16310107","dateCreated":"1257265722","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"aolsen24","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/aolsen24","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16310107"},"dateDigested":1532139998,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Music and Modern Music","description":" When I watched the Miss Independent music video it didn't surprise me that the women in the video were dressed very exposed. This like many music videos by modern artist make women seem just like sex objects. I actually do like the song because the lyrics talk about a woman who is strong, independent and can take care of herself, but the music video seems to do the opposite. It degrades women because instead of focusing on the women's mind and intelligence, it focuses on the "sexiness" of the women. When I picture a independent woman I don't necessarily think of a woman in short shorts, low top and super high heels.
\n The music video is much different than what I thought it was going to be like. THe video seemed very wild and almost evil. All of the fire reminded me of war and also all the back clothing. When I looked up the lyrics I was sort of surprised, because some of the things Kanye and Jay Z say are very offensive to me. They were very degrading to women. When I listen to songs, especially rap songs I don't really listen to the lyrics I listen to more of the beat of the song.
\n The song Russian Roulette by Rihanna is not my favorite of her songs. It is very slow and kind of strange. I understand that today many artists write songs even though they never actually have played things. Maybe she has, I don't know, but I don't see a good reason why someone would write a song like that. It is strange how media has an obsession with guns.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"16318187","body":"Add to this
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\n The song Crawl by Chris Brown was not like his old songs. I did not really like it because it just seemed almost fake and although there was a theme to the song, I felt it didn't flow. It seems like it was to Rihanna because there seems to be a lot of things in the song that remind me of it. Also although I think it was to Rihanna, it didn't seem like there was any emotion in his voice. It just seems like it was just sung.
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\n Although I am not a big fan of country music, I did like the song, some what. I did not at all like the lyrics. They were kind of scary because it seems like he is abusive and she is going to shoot and kill him. Again here is the theme of guns in media today. The song does do a good job at helping me imagine what is happening, but it does mean I want to know.","dateCreated":"1257271504","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"aolsen24","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/aolsen24","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"16296623","dateCreated":"1257242925","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"cokozuma","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/cokozuma","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16296623"},"dateDigested":1532139998,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Women in Music","description":"The interpretation of music varies with each individual. For a song like "Miss Independent" by Neyo if you were to listen to just the lyrics by itself you would have gotten the impression that this was a nice video portraying women in a stronger more independant role. Unfortunately when you watch the music video this perception can change due to the promiscuity of the video and the way it portrays women, as "hot" good looking coworkers with short skirts and revealing tops.
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\nIn the Song "Run this Town" by Jay-Z and Rihanna there is a different perspective given. This time women are again put in the strong role of being independent and self serving, and in this video there is not so much promiscuity going on which makes it better, but on the other hand the role of womens independence is portrayed by violence and gangs
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\nConcerning the next two songs "russian roulette" by Rihanna and "crawl" by Chris Brown since there is no music video to watch along with the song we can take the lyrics in our mind and paint a picture that best describes how we feel about the song. I think both Chris Brown and Rihanna do an amazing job to incorporate feelings and emotions into their song lyrics. it is truly a skill that you hone through experience and practice and these two artists have had a lot of both.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"16296615","dateCreated":"1257242910","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"kenziesato","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kenziesato","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/iolaniwomenlit.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16296615"},"dateDigested":1532139998,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Music!","description":" These were all very interesting pieces of music to listen and\/ or look at. Though I know that deconstructing these songs are going to change my views on them, I am looking forward to seeing the deeper meaning of these songs that we often never think about.
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\n \u201cMiss Independent\u201d by Ne-yo, is a song that I am very familiar with. However, I have never seen the video and it really doesn\u2019t match what I thought he was trying to say in the song. I thought this song was about admiring ONE independent woman who he is attracted to. This was not the case in the music video in my opinion, for the office was full of beautiful women and really emphasized their looks. Just as he is walking to his office when he first gets there, he looks at women, and \u201cchecks them out\u201d. It is quite obvious that he is pointing out that he thinks that all these ladies in the room are gorgeous and that\u2019s all he\u2019s thinking about. What was Ne-yo trying to say about \u201cMiss Independent\u201d as well as choosing to portray it in the music video as he did? There is very much going on with sex appeal, from the ladies in sexy clothing, dancing, and the ending that was quite suggestive.
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\n \u201cRun This Town\u201d by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West, is another song that I am familiar with, and I hear it often. I like this song but I didn\u2019t really think too deeply into what the song was trying to say. What I got from the music video was it was violent, dark, and most importantly rebellious. There is no smiling and it just looks like pure business. I get this sense of rebellion, but I wonder: What is the rebellion pertaining to? To look at Rihanna among these other men, she is along in the front of the pack, involved in the scheme, and has power. I realize that there is a bad influence by this piece of media, because it is saying do anything to rebel to get ahead or cheat. One line that stood out to me relating to this is, \u201cI break the rules but I don\u2019t care.\u201d This is basically saying do whatever you want to get what you want, and it doesn\u2019t always have to be played fairly to win. Also, what are these seemingly rebellious people trying to accomplish?
\nAs for \u201cRussian Roulette\u201d by Rihanna, I have never heard this song before and I it was catchy. I can feel a strong emotion in this song, as well as the rash tendency of it. I listened to it twice, and I\u2019m still not sure what is going on in this song completely. It is not a happy song at all, with a lyric saying \u201cto late to see the value of my life.\u201d Why did she put out a song like this? Also, I thought that the ending with the spinning of the gun barrel and the loud gunshot was a very impactful way to end it. However, it hasn\u2019t been the first time she has put a song about killing and death out. \u201cUnfaithful\u201d also mentioned her putting a gun to his head and getting it over with because she keeps cheating on him. I am looking forward to listening to a deconstructing of this song.
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\n \u201cCrawl\u201d by Chris Brown is another song that I haven\u2019t heard before. It sounded like a nice, inspirational song when I listened to it. It\u2019s talking about building back up and how you have to start somewhere by just crawling. I think that is a very hopeful metaphor. However, after reading the article, it just doesn\u2019t have the same feel anymore. It just seems like he is trying to reprieve himself from the issues that has happened with him in the recent past, especially with Rihanna. I know that these two and their happenings and experiences together influence their music and many of their songs. It is interesting that at the end of the article, it mentions Ne-yo and his dislike for Chris Brown. In fact, he writes the song, \u201cRussian Roulette\u201d for Rihanna, perhaps reflecting his own opinions and feelings as well. So, with this kind of music, will Chris Brown make a comeback to where he was if not bigger?
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\n The last song by Miranda Lambert is something that I have definitely never heard before, being not a country listener besides a few songs. This song, \u201cGunpowder and Lead\u201d is Lambert is dedicating to those girls out there who have been treated wrong by a man, even in physical abuses mentioned in the chorus. It consists of a strong sense of revenge- revenge with violence and death. She wants to get even with the use of \u201cgunpowder and lead\u201d. For this song, I really think it\u2019s going a little far to say that straight up shooting someone is the way to go. Watch out boys\u2026","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]}],"more":true},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}