Scientists Discover That Song Lyrics Have Become Simpler and More Repetitive

According to a study published in Scientific Reports, the lyrics of English-language songs have grown simpler and more repetitive over the last 40 years.

Eva Zangerle and colleagues analyzed the lyrics of 12,000 English-language rap, country, pop, R&B, and rock songs (2,400 songs per genre) released between 1980 and 2020. The authors found that, in general, lyrics have become simpler and easier to understand over time and that the number of different words used within songs has decreased, particularly among rap and rock songs. They suggest that general increases in the repetitiveness of lyrics across multiple genres have led to lyrics becoming simpler overall. The authors speculate that the trend towards simpler lyrics could reflect changes in music consumption, such as increases in songs being played as background music.