Advertise here with Carbon Ads

This site is made possible by member support. 💞

Big thanks to Arcustech for hosting the site and offering amazing tech support.

When you buy through links on kottke.org, I may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks for supporting the site!

kottke.org. home of fine hypertext products since 1998.

Beloved by 86.47% of the web.

🍔  💀  📸  😭  🕳️  🤠  🎬  🥔

Is the love song dying? Or has the definition broadened? The Pudding investigates.

Comments  2

Sort by: thread — thread . latest . faves

Brian Pan Edited

I wish they would just say this is a cool visualization of how love songs have changed over the years (instead of making up Boomer Bob).

I'm not a Boomer, but if refuting him is their REAL aim, then all they showed is that if you water down the definition of a love song until it has no more meaning, then it's still alive and well?

I think it turned a cool visualization into an unsatisfying treatise for me.

Milosz F

Many classic love songs (Every Breath You Take by The Police) much like many classic rom coms (500 Days of Summer) are actually incredibly sexist and creepy.

I guess some people who grew up on them don’t see it that way and miss it?

I for one am relived to see the change with artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Lizzy McAlpine and maaany others reclaiming what’s rightfully theirs.

Hello! In order to leave a comment, you need to be a current kottke.org member. If you'd like to sign up for a membership to support the site and join the conversation, you can explore your options here.

Existing members can sign in here. If you're a former member, you can renew your membership.

Note: If you are a member and tried to log in, it didn't work, and now you're stuck in a neverending login loop of death, try disabling any ad blockers or extensions. Or try logging out and then back in. Still having trouble? Email me!