The first song by the boyband One Direction that I will be analyzing this week is titled, “I Want”. This song was featured on the band’s debut album, Up All Night. The lyrics is this song portray very stereotypical ideas of femininity. This song has actually been discussed quite a bit among fans for being so stereotypical of women. The first set of lyrics that stick out to me are as follows:
If I looked inside your brain
I would find lots of things
Clothes, shoes, diamond rings
These lyrics portray that material possessions such as the ones above are related to being a woman/being feminine. The lyrics are quite demeaning, because they suggest that the only thing that women think about is jewelry and expensive accessories. There is also a part of the song where the boys state that the woman “only wants materials“. The song continues to simply women and suggest that they are only capable of thinking about things of that level. It expresses that feminine characteristics are negative.
You’ve got everything you need
But you want accessories
Got to hold it in your hand
If I changed the world for you
I bet you wouldn’t have a clue
These lyrics continue to show femininity in a negative light. It stereotypes that women are always needing more and are selfish. The song continues on with the refrain, which repeats that women are always saying “I want“. However, suggesting that women do not care and are not understanding or affectionate goes against the characteristics normally associated with being feminine. Women are supposed to be kind, soft-spoken, affectionate, and warm. This song shows them to be cold, heartless, and surface-level. The dynamic of this song is interesting, because it stereotypes women at a certain level but still goes against certain feminine characteristics.
Shared by: Abigail Gonnering
Image Credit: Insider