Motivation is a song explicitly sexual in nature, describing passionate s** between Kelly Rowland's character and her partner. Kelly Rowland, who tells her partner (or the listener-as the line is in first person) that she is going to be their motivation, the suggestion being that she will motivate him to perform in the bedroom. As the title suggests, the song is particularly positive in its outlook. Kelly talks about believing in her lover as she is climaxing, encouraging him to perform for longer. She describes her partner as a one of a kind lover, stating that no one else can do the things he does to her. Lil Wayne's rap segment that comes midway through the song serves as a sort of response to Kelly's lyrics from her partner, and indeed, reflects many of the sentiments that Kelly expressed in the first place. Much of the song's imagery is incredibly physical. Rowland talks about wanting to feel her partner's hands all over her and also states that, by the end, she doesn't want to be able to feel her legs. Lines such as Lil Wayne's "she hold me like a conversation" suggest a more tender edge within the song.

So, wait, who runs the world exactly? Sike. The overt message of female empowerment, although seemingly overconfident and a tad threatening to men, offers yet another strong anthem for women from the lovely Beyonce. Perhaps the larger issue Beyonce is hinting at is how men perceive and reconcile the modern powerful woman. Beyonce is demanding that a certain man needs to accept her power, and even taunts him by singing "you'll do anything for me." Despite this, she does imply that she is "just playin" and hopes that said male can still love/desire her, even though he may feel threatened by her strength. In a pop culture where females in the public eye are endlessly encouraged to be overtly sexual in their presentation (although Beyonce has done this in the past), Beyonce is offering a powerful message that is encouraging and motivating for young women, who will grow up to be in positions of power. Although the song's lyrics are pretty repetitive, it's refreshing to hear such a positive message being sung in such an upbeat song!

I'm caught up in this song! What a sweet romantic ballad. It's easy to relate to the experience of being with a romantic interest and not wanting to spoil the moment. Everything is perfect as it is. When you're in such a serene moment such as Lady Antebellum beautifully describes, it's easy to wonder if the person in front of you will be the one you've been waiting for. The sense of time slowing down in the moment, juxtaposed with all these thoughts of the future rushing through your head is a brilliant concept. Although the singers don't want the moment to end, they are conscious of the fact that they want their blooming relationship to start off right. They are thinking simultaneously in the present and the future. Obviously, this song isn't breaking any ground in terms of its lyrical romantic overtones, but Lady Antebellum have a knack for creating beautiful songs with lyrics depicting scenes. The listener can easily relate to what's happening. Even if they personally haven't had a goodnight kiss under the moonlight, the sentiment is something everyone can relate to.

Everyone is lazy. We've all been there. Those days where we can't manage to muster up the energy to do anything. What seems interesting about this song is that Bruno Mars seems rather ambivalent about his general laziness. He merely states that today is just one of those days; the days we can't function as we normally do. He's not sending the message, "I'm lazy but I should be something;" rather, he is celebrating! But hey, we all need those days. Clearly, Bruno is a motivated guy in a sense- he's planning on doing some P90x, having sexual intercourse with a female of whom he hasn't met yet, and is offhandedly thinking of getting a degree. I applaud Mr. Mar's readiness to take a day off from life; no communication with the outside world, no regard for personal hygiene, and no need for clothes. Perhaps if we all accept that lazy days like this should be taken advantage of, we may all be a little happier inside. We can afford to put things off tomorrow, if it means truly enjoying the little things in life today.

Nobody is perfect. How true. Despite the valid message, one wonders exactly what Jessie J (well, the songwriters) did to hurt this person so much. Could be cheating. "The trust is broken" line seems all too familiar to those who commit infidelity. And ultimately, what goes around comes around. The hurt that Jessie J inflicted on an apparent love interest inevitably came back around to her, and in the end, she also suffers. However, it could be something less serious, as implied in the verses. She seems to have told a secret to someone she shouldn't have, and the person she's singing to is pissed. This is something anyone can relate to, be it a mature adult or a 10-year-old. We all have the potential to let our friends down. The chorus though is what I take issue with. Jessie J argues that because nobody is perfect, and because of this, the person should be able to forgive her. The forgiveness, like it or not, isn't up to her. What is forgivable to one person may be unforgivable to another. Regardless, the sentiment is real and the lyrics are self aware and reflective - kudos to the songwriters!

Wow, what a great club jam! It definitely captures that feeling you get in the club; when you're dancing with the girl you know you want to take home and you're trying to convince her to stay with you for the night. It definitely makes me think of that innate and unknowing sense of urgency you feel once the night is wrapping up; you may not get to be with your girl tomorrow, so you want to make the most out of tonight. I love how Pitbull even admits that he may be drinking more than he should too. Because, well, we've all been there. The forthcomingness and honesty of Pitbull is respectable, and with his candid approach, I wonder if he'll bring the girl home at the end of the night. Although the message is simple and repetitive, the lyrical simplicity of the chorus compliments the ongoing rhythm of the song. I suppose that's why it's such an amazing club hit! I think this song really captures what its like to share the dance floor and try your hardest spend the night with the girl you have your eye on.

To me, Dirty Dancer is a song about an experience with a dominating partner, who, while infatuating, is never going to be content with staying with one lover. As the chorus of the song states, the Dirty Dancer is never lonely, and the listener (or Enrique) will "never be her only", suggesting that she does not stay in monogamous relationships for very long. The song describes the character as being greedy, and never getting enough, stating that she's "never satisfied" and that if the listener doesn't "do it right" with her (either through charm or bedroom behaviour) then she will quickly get bored with them and move onto the next partner. "it's insane how she tames, she can turn you into an animal" suggests that the Dirty Dancer character is the dominant partner in the relationship and that she brings out quite an animalistic side in Enrique/the listener. The song gives the impression that the relationship is mostly superficial with the repeated line "she don't want love, she just wanna touch" which suggests that it is based more on sexual desire than any desire for a long lasting commitment. Whether or not the song is encouraging or discouraging this kind of behaviour is unclear. Enrique at the beginning dedicates the track to "the dirty girls all around the world".

Hair song is about the difficulties of growing up when not wanting to conform to the values of normal society. Perhaps autobiographical, the song features a main character who "can't be who they wanna be" because "whenever they're dressed cool", they get into trouble with their parents. The character's multi-colored hair, which is the expression of their rebellion and non-conformity, gets cut off at night by their mom. However, in spite of this, the song is optimistic and the character states in the chorus "this is my prayer, I swear, I'm as free as my hair, I am my hair". Even though the character's hair can be cut, it will always grow back again. The hair in the song represents the character's true feelings and is reflected in the lyrics; "I just wanna be myself and I want you to love me for who I am". In this sense, Hair seems to be about accepting people for who they are, regardless of how they choose to dress or express themselves. I am unsure whether or not the hair cutting incident comes from Lady Gaga's own childhood, although the song's lyrics are similar to her other optimistic tracks about non-conformity such as Born This Way.