What Do Popular Songs Mean?

Develop skills and techniques to interpret popular songs

Popular songs are everywhere – but what do they mean?

Join experts from the University of Leeds on this online short course to explore the world of music from new perspectives.

Through engaging exercises and guided discussions, you’ll explore how artists create meaning through lyrics, persona and musical accompaniment. You don’t need to be an expert to get started.

In just four weeks, you’ll discover tools and techniques to broaden your understanding of meaning in popular music, setting you up for further study in the field and music industry.

Explore the theory behind music analysis

Dive into an accessible form of popular music theory, exploring how the way songs are structured can impact their interpretation. You’ll be introduced to simple tools, helping you analyse music with clarity.

Describe how musical artists inhabit personas

Explore the idea of authenticity, joining other popular music fans to discuss if artists sing from the heart and the characters they inhabit.

You’ll analyse lyrics, analysing music through the lens of persona to create detailed descriptions of musical pieces.

Dive deeper into meaning

In the second half of this course, you’ll broaden your focus, examining what surrounds the persona.

You’ll explore accompaniment and production, sharing your perceptions of misinterpreted songs and layers of meaning.

Interpret a popular song and explore future pathways

By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped to analyse a song effectively, setting the foundation for your final assignment, where you’ll write a compelling interpretation, using evidence to support your argument.

You’ll receive feedback from peers and facilitators, while also exploring academic and professional pathways in music.

This course is ideal for music students, writers, and enthusiasts who want to deepen their ability to analyse, interpret, and write compellingly about popular music. No prior knowledge is needed to join.

This course is ideal for music students, writers, and enthusiasts who want to deepen their ability to analyse, interpret, and write compellingly about popular music. No prior knowledge is needed to join.

• Explain how popular songs are constructed, using music theory terminology and visual aids.
• Analyse and interpret a popular song, communicating an evidence-based argument.
• Describe how music theory can contribute to a career in music (or beyond), drawing on transferable skills such as interpretation.