Universidade de Brasília

Aluno: Alexandre Marcelino Viana de Siqueira

Matrícula: 200056638
Professor: Abdelhak Razky
Semestre: 2020/2

WRITING - WEEK 04

When I was little, I used to listen to the same songs my parents did, and that was mostly radio
hits — we were crazy for Madonna, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, and other superstars. I
guess what my parents enjoyed so much about those artists was their ability to write songs so
incredibly full of emotions and, for some time, I believed that too. But then, as I got into my
teens, I began listening to more underground musicians and would reject anything deemed as
mainstream, despite the quality of the song. My teenage-self just wanted to feel rebellious,
and that was the way I found to express myself at the time. The music taste I developed then
lingered onto my adulthood; until very recently, I still believed popular music was vain and
stupid, and would refuse to even give it a chance. Then, the other day, the song Green Light
by Lorde, a pop artist from New Zealand, started playing at the clothing store I was at, and I
had no other option but to listen to it. My skepticism rapidly turned into awe. Every sentiment
in the song resonated deep in my bones. It took me back to my childhood, listening to great
radio hits with my mom and dad. Again, I was reminded that popular music does express
some emotions very well.