LYRICS IN PIECES: STRUCTURAL, LINGUISTIC, AND EMOTIONAL FRAGMENTATION IN MODERN SONGS

Abstract

This study explores fragmentation as a key stylistic and interpretive feature in a selection of contemporary song lyrics, examining how disjointed structures, disrupted language, and fractured thematic elements work together to express emotional instability, identity conflict, and psychological turbulence. Through qualitative textual analysis, the research identifies multiple layers of fragmentation—including structural breaks, shifts in voice, abrupt transitions, and non-linear sequencing—that mirror the fragmented experiences represented in the lyrics. Psychological fragmentation is evident through incomplete memories, contradictions, and expressions of inner turmoil, while linguistic fragmentation—such as ellipses, repetition, syntactic gaps, and abrupt imagery—reflects the singers’ struggle to articulate complex emotions. Thematically, the lyrics depict fractured relationships, disillusionment, and social alienation, positioning fragmentation as both a creative technique and an embodiment of lived emotional realities. The study concludes that fragmentation in song lyrics functions as a deliberate artistic device that invites active listener interpretation, foregrounding themes of trauma, identity instability, and the multiplicity of modern emotional experience.