NOTEWRTHY: Music Is Beyond Language

Welcome back to NOTEWRTHY, [INSERT OPENING JOKE HERE]

Today, let’s talk about some of my favorite songs in languages other than English (because I can only fully understand English).

Whether it’s in Japanese, Polish, Spanish, or any other language, you don’t have to understand the lyrics of a song to appreciate it. As long as the beat and rhythm of the song is good, a song can be enjoyed by all. Let’s look at a few.

First up, coming from Colombian group Monsieur Periné, is the song “Bailar Contigo.” This band actually sings in a mixture of Spanish, French, English and Portuguese in their songs. This particular song, however, is only in Spanish. The song has a very calm cadence to it, giving the song a very laid back feeling. The light and floaty drums work perfectly with the soft guitar prevalent throughout the track, and even with the occasional synths that make various appearances. After doing a quick online translation of the lyrics that was assisted by my own rudimentary-at-best understanding of Spanish, I found out that the song is about feeling a special connection with a person and wanting to always dance with them and enjoy their presence to the fullest. The singer doesn’t want the person they are referring to to leave, but they have to for one reason or another. The song is about enjoying the moment they have, but also the want for the moment to never end, even though it has to.

Next, let’s talk about Japanese pop duo YAOSOBI’s 2019 song “夜に駆ける” or “Yoru ni Kakeru.” Known in English as “Into the Night,” this song actually has an official English-lyrics recording, which was done by the band themselves. As most people know, it’s fairly uncommon for bands to go out of their way to re-record a song in a language other than the one it was originally in, so it’s really cool that they did this. The song’s beat is very upbeat, with a synth/piano making the main melody. The backtrack also features both electric and bass guitars, which help frame up the snares and cymbals quite nicely. As far as the actual lyrics go, this song is about dedicating yourself to someone, in a similar manner as the previous one. The lyrics that start off the chorus, “In the troubling days, for the never-smiling you, I give my utmost love in hopes for the dazzling tomorrow,” tell us that the person singing truly cares for the person they are referring to. Later in the song, before the last chorus, we get an even better example of how much the speaker cares for the subject of the song when the lyrics say, “In the troubling days, I became unable to smile, The reflection of you in my eyes is truly beautiful, The overflowing tears on the never-ending night, All dissolve into your smile.” This expression of emotion makes it clear that this person makes them extremely happy, and that they are who/what they think of when they are at their lowest. In the end, this song in general is an upbeat sounding emotional display of genuine care and even admiration. The song is also just a fun listen, even without understanding the lyrics.

Finally, let’s talk about “Mujeriego” by Columbian reggaetón and Latin trap music star, Ryan Castro. Right off the bat, the song has a confident sounding beat with standard trap high hats over a very lively sounding, plunky piano. Supporting these higher pitch sounds is a satisfying yet subtle bassline prevalent throughout the track. The lyrics, which are, of course, in Spanish, match the beat well as Castro spends the majority of the song talking about how he’s a womanizer and won’t deny that fact. He also talks about his love for dancing, money and alcohol throughout the song. While this is by no means a deep and meaningful song like the other two I mentioned, it doesn’t need to be. It’s simply an enjoyable song with a fun and high energy beat that makes you want to get up and dance. A song can have whatever energy you want it to and still be a good listen overall, but the beat has to fit. With this song, the beat certainly fits, and thus it is enjoyable.