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Miley Cyrus Research Paper

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Rock music, much like anything perennial in this world, evolved from plucked guitars and pop-like lyrics to contemporary social commentary and experimental sounds to everything in between. What parents all around the world detested for its vulgarity as exemplified by Elvis’s televised pelvic thrusts is now considered classic while the very same generation is shocked by Miley Cyrus’s award ceremony performances. That being said, it is in my opinion that “rock” is an ever-morphing set of ideals that is held together by a core belief in the power rebelliousness of youth. The sound of rock can be anything from a steel drum quartet to an electronic DJ as long as there is still a vibe of rebellion in the lyrics or structure. If a song or artist is …show more content…

The same can be said of Miley Cyrus in modern-times; although the backlash for her “twerking” took social media by storm, many young people still admire her tenacity and imitate the dancing style she brought to mainstream America. Although both artists’ can be considered pop musically due to their catchy lyrics and danceable beat, the fact that they fought back against social norms and pushed the envelope helps me classify the two as rock artists. The same can be said of hip hop artists from the ‘90s. While their flow and beats are undoubtedly hip hop, their effects on the cultural world are most definitely rock. NWA, Tupac Shakur, and Biggie Smalls, while more often than not interpreted as thugs due to their misogynistic and violent lyrics, still voiced how many young Americans felt about racial tensions in America and noted the injustice in what I believe to be a true rock fashion. Their songs about what it was like being black in America, crass and unforgiving, opened the eyes of those who had not personally experienced their struggle and validated those who had. This is another very important aspect of rock music; the lyrics reflect how the marginalized youth feel. Rock artists become their voice in a world that often does not take them very

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