McPheters 1

Kiah McPheters

Mr. Slye

English 1201

February 20, 2022

Rhetorical Analysis: “Listen to Your Heart”

"Listen to your heart when he is calling for you. Listen to your heart; there's nothing else

you can do", are famed lyrics interpreted in two different versions over the last few decades.

Roxette, the original duet, illustrated their meaning in the music video by putting on an

emotional live performance for a packed audience in Sweden. DHT, another duet, released the

famous song's rendition many years later but added a faster tempo. The change did not stop there

with this remake. DHT's video shows a detachment from its lead singer Edmee Daenen. The

original version of "Listen to Your Heart" by Roxette took the world by storm in the late 80s

with its empowering and passionate reminder to follow your heart during times of uncertainty.

The remake, released in 2003 by DHT, added a club-mix remix to the song, losing that emotional

touch of love and loss the Roxette's did so well to produce.

Roxette was a duo group with Marie Fredriksson and her male counterpart; Per Gessle.

They joined together in 1986 and quickly established themselves as successful artists in Sweden.

In 1989 Roxette released "Listen to Your Heart. During an interview with Billboard, Per Gessell

said that his friend's love life inspired the song, "That's one of the rare occasions when I wrote

the story about a very good friend of mine who went through a difficult divorce." (Songfacts.
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“Listen to Your Heart by Roxette – Songfacts.”) The music video was shot at Borgholm Castle

on an island in Sweden, and the video is a live performance of the song.

DHT (Dance House Trance) is a dance group duo that consists of Edmee Daenen as

singer and Flor Theeuwes, also known as DJ Da Rick. Their cover of the song, "Listen to Your

Heart," released in 2003 and like the original, took off on the charts peaking at #8 on Billboard's

Top 100.

The ambiance between the original version of "Listen to Your Heart" and the remake has

a remarkable disparity. In Roxette's performance, Marie Fredrikkson is shown on stage barefoot,

cradling the microphone in front of her audience. This act shows vulnerability, removing her

from her status of popstar and celebrity to her as an everyday relatable person. She is wearing an

all-black dress, which alludes to the idea that she may be mourning a choice that she has made

regarding her heart. Her hand gestures, reaching out towards the audience and coming to her

knees, present her desire to connect with her fans, almost as a friend who wants to give advice.

Her emotional and expressive dancing aligns with the passionate cry for fans to follow their

hearts. Adoring fans are packed in the audience, swaying along to the music while holding

sparklers.

DHT took a different approach concerning the ambiance. In their music video of the

covered song, Edmee is alone and does not interact with anyone. Her head is angled down.

Everyone around her is happy, dancing, and interacting with each other. People move around her

as if she is not even there. This display of invisablity represents how she is mostly in her head

and not present at the party. Her facial expression never changes throughout the entirety of the

video. DJ Da Rick is at the turntable. He participates with the crowd, feeding off their energy and

matching it with his own. At times, he watches Edmee. These glimpses leaves the listener
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believing that he is concerned for her or possibly waiting for her to listen to her heart and find

her way back to him.

The differences do not stop at the ambiance. The distinctions carry over to the location

where they film the music videos. The Roxette music video shows us a bus traveling over a long

bridge above a sea of water. The image dissipates as one of the islands appears, with the castle in

the background, although small, commanding the viewer's attention. A quick clip of traffic at

high speed fills the screen. When put together, these scenes provide a story of Roxette traveling

far and wide for this performance and then many fans who are eager to see this song playing

following close behind. The Borghold Castle is imposing and comfortable all at the same time. A

helicopter circles overhead; this adds to the grandiose feeling, which is well balanced with

Fredrikkson and Gessell's relatability.

DHT's "Listen to Your Heart" cover had its music video. They choose a club for the first

half of the video, presumably to match the club-mix change to the tune. Edmee is filmed in a

phone booth, at the bar, and in a bathroom while DJ Da Rick spends his time at the turntables.

They are at a house party in the second half of the video. Edmee appears in a bedroom, on the

staircase, and in the living room of this party. These location choices add a modern feel to the

portrayal of the lyrics.

The rhetorical appeals made in both videos use pathos, the emotional appeal. Both

videos, in my opinion, leave something to be felt. Fredrikkson and Theeuwes instilled feelings of

empowerment to decide based on your heart, whereas Edmee and DJ Da Rick left listeners

feeling alone and hesitant to make any choice.

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In the original version, the audience is anyone who has ever battled with whether they

should follow their minds or hearts. It was a popular song, so it reached anyone who had a radio

or turned on the TV. Young or old, listeners were exposed to it. The song was initially released

in Sweden, making people who live in that part of the world their original audience base. In the

remake, with DHT, the audience for this version would be a younger crowd and those who like

club-mixes of songs. DHT initially were a dance group, bringing the remake into the focus of

that subculture. It would also touch those in relationship turmoil and seek advice on what to do,

specifically regarding whether they have questions about staying or going. Both songs are aimed

more towards female listeners, as the leads are female.

"Listen to Your Heart" had a message for all who listened, and for many, it was simple

yet sound advice that still echos through our heads decades later. Although the lyrics are the

same, the change in ambiance and location changed the message and overall feeling during its

music videos. If Roxette's version was a friend giving genuine advice, then DHT's version was

the sad reality where we face the consequences and pain of our choices alone in a bar.
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Works Cited

RobbinsEntertainment. “DHT Ft. Edmee ‘Listen to Your Heart’ (Official Video) (Digitally
Remastered - HQ Available).” YouTube, YouTube, 22 Mar. 2016,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsU82r0wi2k.

roxetteofficial. “Roxette - Listen to Your Heart (Official Music Video).” YouTube, YouTube, 4
Mar. 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCC_b5WHLX0.

Songfacts. “Listen to Your Heart by Roxette - Songfacts.” Song Meanings at Songfacts,

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/roxette/listen-to-your-heart.