So, I was watching this video of my new favorite song:
And looking at the translation of the lyrics. Keep in mind that I had listened to this song many times before without looking at a translation. And when I looked at the translation, something struck me as odd. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I only just realized it today:
It's a man and a woman singing to each other, and they're not singing about love!*
It's a sad, sad fact that if you put a male and a female in a duet, the song is pretty much always going to be about love, whether it be about how much they love each other or breaking up or whatever romantic crap. Think about it, really think about it - when was the last time you heard a male/female duet that wasn't in the least about romance? Yeah, good luck with that.
Compulsory coupling - the notion that when two people of compatible sexual orientation interact, they MUST find romance, or else!!! And the truth is, it's always heterosexual. The compulsory coupling in music serves to do two things: 1.Reaffirm the notion that the only things girls should want is to find a partner, and 2.Keep strong the heteronormative form of romance.
So I congratulate Falconer on being not only great musicians, but for once breaking the mold and realizing that women don't only want to sing about love.
*Or sex. I should have mentioned that.
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