Song: “Chandelier” (click here for lyrics)
Artist: Sia
Overall Message:
〉Sia is describing how she used to be a huge partier. The song suggests that she probably had alcohol abuse issues and used alcohol to escape from reality. With there being a lot of talk about alcohol in this song, I will mainly be focusing on the stereotypes expressed about women when they consume alcohol.
Analyzing the Lyrics:
〉Stereotypical Feminine Traits
- No control over drinking: “Throw em back til I lose count”
- A very common stereotype brought upon women is that when we drink, we tend to lose control of ourselves. Some people think we drink too much and get too out of hand as a result. Sia is confirming this stereotype because she mentions she used to drink so that much that she would lose count of how many drinks she had. This idea of drinking too much can also be related to the fact that women are very “emotional” and sometimes resort to alcohol to help cope with their feelings.
- Humiliating when drinking: “I’m gonna swing from the chandelier”
- This phrase is the chorus of the song. With the song being revolved around heavily drinking, these lyrics are basically saying that she is going to do something irrational and crazy because she is highly intoxicated. A stereotype that is heard a lot is that women can really humiliate themselves when drinking and make a fool out of themselves. For example, the well known saying that says “white girls love elevated surfaces.” This is the idea that girls like to dance on tabletops, chairs, etc., and they usually end up falling because they are too drunk, thus humiliating themselves.
〉Counterstereotypical Feminine Traits
- I couldn’t fully come to a conclusion on any counterstereotypical feminine traits seen in this song. A lot of the song was about Sia drinking too much and partying so it was hard to find a specific example of a counterstereotype.
Stay tuned for the next post on…Camila Cabello!
Shared by: Emily Calewarts
Image Credit: https://trauma.blog.yorku.ca/2018/11/chandelier/