Being a person that loves a variety of music certain songs hit you in the feels or carry a certain level of weight feeling wise with them, however, there are some songs that because of certain situations & times they are ironic in meaning & context.
Single ladies | Beyoncé
Everyone is single at some point in their lives & at some point, a majority of people want to be married in their lifetime, however, what makes this song ironic is two things that play a factor in it, the status of Beyoncé when the song was released & the use of it. When the song was released the timing of it was after B go married to Jay-Z in a “Secret Wedding” (which makes sense because everyone doesn’t want people in their business but doesn’t make sense from the point of the album “Lemonade” however to each their own) so it’s ironic to some when it was released by Beyoncé, she is a music artist like anyone else the timing shouldn’t matter. The second thing that makes it ironic is the use of it by listeners of it, when you’re going to a wedding especially during the brides’ toss of the bouquet you’ll hear it or someone is single (specifically female, don’t kill the messenger) will play it as a reminder. It’s not a bad song just run into the ground & some people lack originality sometimes. Majority of the irony came from B’s marriage & people that we’re singing it.
No Scrubs | TLC
This song was ironic because of the context of the song compared to the actual group. In 1995 TLC the group that was very successful filed for chapter 11 which is bankruptcy which was probably the hand of the record label they were on. The ironic part comes in when in 1999 they released “No Scrubs” which basically talks about not accepting a good for nothing person that isn’t doing anything far as their life & money which makes sense, the modern version of this would be flexing where someone puts on a show but someone is totally different. This was ironic not on purpose because it makes sense no one accepting just anyone especially someone who isn’t doing anything in their life monetarily or goal wise but when the ball is in your court do you stand up to the same standards. Again they were artists & made a catchy song that females were singing constantly when it came out like “What Have You Done For Me Lately“ by Janet Jackson, it was just chalked with irony after what happened in 1995.
Rehab | Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse was a phenomenal artist when she was alive, however, everyone has something their dealing with and can be amplified by fame. Amy who was a phenomenal talent that was going through drug & alcohol addiction. She came out with the song “Rehab” in 2006 which was a personal song for her because of her struggles, the irony kicks in 2011 when she passed away from her struggles due to alcohol poisoning. Her death wasn’t an isolated thing because there are lots of people that go through what she did, heck even DeBarge went through it from a music perspective. Overall when she passed it made here song even more prevalent when it happened.
Free Bird | Lynyrd Skynrd
Lynyrd Skynrd was a great rock band & had some great work to boot. In 1973 the band came out with the song “Free Bird” which basically talks about would you remember someone after they're gone & you really can’t change someone & should let someone fly free, the irony kicks several years later in 1977 when the group was involved in a fatal plane crash killing several people. To go from a song which speaks on letting someone fly free to that was ironic.
Who’s gonna save my soul | Gnarls Barkley
This song is ironic because of the situation that people have gone through and how it can be counter-intuitive sometimes. When two people break up romantically no matter how it goes, no matter how good or bad it is someone is left worse for wear because of it. In the song made by the duo of Cee Lo Green & Danger Mouse the male in the video gets broken up with by the female in it & in response, he physically gives his heart to her and explains what’s gonna happen moving forward from him be heartless to even comparing that relationship to future ones. It’s ironic because a person giving someone their heart figuratively is a tough thing because moving on to another person you’re traveling light & without something you need but it makes sense because if you put effort into it you’re gonna probably leave something with the person. It’s a sad predicament but makes sense from the outside looking in.
6th Man
Bills, Bills, Bills & Solider | Destiny’s Child
This one is spread over two songs but involves the same group of Destiny’s Child. Irony can come from many places however this comes from the place of conflicting ideals of each song. When hearing “Bills” it takes the stance of a song like “No Scrubs” with a female not accepting a guy that’s not stable monetarily. The irony kicks in when the following song was dropped the year after called “Solider” which is about having a rough tough guy, the opposite of the previously mentioned song. The toughest thing to do sometimes is act on what someone wants even more so when what someone wants is conflictingly leaving a person like feeling like Ryan Gosling in “The Notebook”. Life is already confusing.
