It's not very common for math and science to transcend the textbook into mainstream music. There's YouTubers like
Coma Niddy, who use comedy and music to teach lessons every high schooler is going to search for on YouTube to make studying easier. A genre of music called "
nerdcore" has artists like MC Frontalot and MC Hawking who mix hip-hop and science theories usually in parody-form (my favorite is "
Fuck The Creationists"). But these feel like novelties used for comedy, entertainment, teaching, and usually all three rather than an emergence of a new age of science-based pop culture that everyone can appreciate. Any musician can sing about dancing, parties, love, and relationships and any audience can relate and enjoy. But I can't think of an artist that has seriously discussed science without the intent of humor or education. I don't think there's anything wrong with those kinds of songs, but I'd just like to see them become accepted by mainstream audiences to bring about a culture that considers science to just be a general topic to talk about.
For now, however, I'll admire the artists that have used science as at least metaphors and devices for word-play in their lyrics. But the question still remains if these songs are popularizing science or trivializing it still.
Science and Math in Songs and Music from
carboncutie on
8tracks Radio.
Some selected tracks on this mixtape include:
"She Blinded Me With Science" - Thomas Dolby
This classic is guaranteed to show up on most 80's party playlists, but it belongs on this one simply for its references to chemicals, geometry, machinery, and, of course, science. Dolby uses science to describe that primal feeling we get when an especially attractive person gets closer and closer and we can't help but give into science! Special mention goes to the mad scientist, Magnus Pyke, who yells "SCIENCE" throughout the song. Remind me to yell "SCIENCE" whenever I sing.
"Mathematics" - Little Boots
The first line of this song should ring true to a lot of people: "Mathematics is a difficult thing," but Little Boots' use of math as a representation for love is also dead-on. They're both difficult and hard to figure out for sure. Her use of terms like calculations, subtracting, dividing, and finding "correct solutions" regarding hearts and souls are so perfect for relationships. I especially love her reference, "Don't know my Fibonacci or Pythagoras" and how she pretty much makes up her own formula for her relationship: "when we're together in the sum of our parts; it's more greater than what we added up to at the start." Did Pythagoras ever think a girl would be making pop music referencing his theorem?
"It's More Fun to Compute"- Kraftwerk
This band of electronic pioneers are the go-to group I listen to when I think about the future. They are science and technology in music form. While the lyrics don't have much to offer in terms of science-references (there's one line repeated in a robot voice: "It's more fun to compute"), the group's contribution to science is its popularization of electronic music, a genre that has created engineers and innovators. Electronic music is the music of the future and Kraftwerk's imagery and soundscapes involving robots, computers, and technology has remained unique to every genre.
What do you think about math and science in mainstream music? Should it stay in the lab or become apart of our creative lexicon? Do you know any songs that truly make an effort to explore science in an imaginative way?
