“WHO THE F#CK AM I?!”
The role of modern rock music on the identity formation of adolescents Pearl Vink
6055230 Youth And Media
thesis supervisor: Renske van Bronswijk 27th of June 2014
Abstract
This study focuses on the role of modern rock music on the identity formation of adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18 years old. In-depth interviews among 11 participants were conducted in order to find the answer on the following research question: what is the role of modern rock music in the identity formation of adolescents in the Netherlands? The
adolescents are hereby perceived as active media consumers that search for media to satisfy their needs. Results show that the participants that listen to rock music are often perceived as underdogs, therefore they experience needs for acceptance, support and regulation of
emotions. Rock music has a very positive influence on the adolescents. The adolescents satisfy their needs for acceptance, support and regulation of emotions through music, the band and music related communities.
“Who the f#ck am I?!” The role of modern rock music on the identity formation of adolescents
Rock music has been the subject of many concerns. In the 1970’s rock music supposedly contained satanic messages, audible when played backwards. In the 1980’s musicians such as Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Priest were blamed for suicides among teenagers. Their lyrics, music and performances were seen as a major threat for children (Sternheimer, 2003).
There is a lot of discussion about whether or not rock music has a negative or positive effect on people’s behavior and attitude (e.g. Greenfield, Bruzzone, Koyamatsu, Satuloff, Nixon, Brodie & Kingsdale, 1987; Leming, 1987; Cripe, 1986; Anderson & Carnagey, 2003). It seems like the majority of articles based on this subject focus on the negative instead of the positive influence of rock music on children (e.g. Lawrence & Joyner, 1991; Rustad, Small, Jobes, Safer & Peterson, 2003; Hansen & Hansen, 1990). The researchers of these studies look at the effects of rock music, rather than the experience. This study will provide a view on rock music from the listeners’ point of view instead of an analysis from people that do not participate in the scene. This study provides an inside-out approach instead of the outside-in approach that appears in most of the research on this topic.
This study focuses on what adolescents do with music instead of what music does to adolescents. This will provide an overall better understanding of the way teenagers give meaning to music and use music in their day to day lives. According to the Uses and
Gratifications theory (Katz, Blumler, & Gurevitch, 1973), people use media in order to fulfill intrinsic needs. I would like to elaborate on these needs and focus in particular on the need for identity formation. Contrary to what some articles on negative effects of rock music say, rock music could potentially have a very positive impact on the identity formation of
means of in-depth interviews, I would like to answer the following research question: What is the role of modern rock music in the identity formation of adolescents in the Netherlands?
Theory
Different Definitions of Identity
Some researchers use identity solely to refer to a culture of people. This means that they draw no distinction between identity and ethnicity (Stryker and Burke, 2000). Others use identity to refer to common identification with a social category or a collectivity. The social identity theory (Tajfel, 1982) is based on this conceptualization. The theory states that you determine who you are based on your group membership. The groups we belong to give us a sense of belonging. This in turn is beneficial for our pride and self-esteem. In order to enhance our self-image, we enhance the status of the group by dividing the world around us into in-group (us) and out-group (them) (Hogg, 2006).
Stryker and Burke (2000) explain how individual identity could be related to social identity. They state that identity theory has evolved in two different, but closely related directions. The first direction concentrates on how social structures can affect the structure of self and how the structure of self influences social behavior. The second direction focuses on the internal dynamics of self-processes as these affect social behavior. This means that internalized identity standards and perceptions of self-relevant meanings create certain behaviors. The first direction ignores the internal dynamics that are associated with the identity processes. The second direction ignores the impact that social processes could have on the identity processes. Within the first direction, society is seen as a mosaic in which stable patterned interactions and relationships are formed within groups, communities, organizations and institutions. People find their roles within society and these roles could be different within every interaction. The self is seen as a combination of multifaceted,
independent and interdependent parts (Stryker & Burke, 2000). From this point of view, people can have different identities in different situations. Stryker and Burke (2000) describe identity in this direction as internalized role expectations. Goffman (1959) tends to disagree with the statement that people have different core identities in different situations. Goffman (1959) states that people put on a show for the benefit of other people. These shows are a performance from the core identity. The performer can believe in his role, which makes the performance sincere, but could also not internalize the role and not really believe in his or her performance (Goffman, 1959).
Identity and Needs
Puberty is not always considered as the easiest time in a person’s life. The turbulent period that adolescents (sometimes) go through is often referred to as a period of storm and stress (Arnett, 1999). Not all adolescents go through this period, but it is more likely to happen during adolescence than through any other developmental stage.
Laiho (2004) argues that music can function as a tool to fulfill needs of adolescents that go through this developmental stage. The needs of teenagers can be rooted in, for instance, entertainment, identity formation, high sensation, coping and youth culture identification (Arnett, 1995). Gantz, Garterberg, Pearson and Schiller (1978) report that teenagers listen to music in order to fulfill needs of passing time, relieving tension, lightening feelings of loneliness, filling awkward silences, relieving boredom and managing their
moods. In addition to individual needs, Hargreaves and North (1997, 1999) mention the social needs of adolescents. They state that the social functions of music are often
overlooked, even though they could be very important for satisfying needs of adolescents. One of the social functions that music can have is its function as a “peer”. Laiho (2004) argues that music can fulfill the need for companionship. Music is usually not seen as a surrounding object, but more as a valued friend. Therefore, music can reduce loneliness in a
time of turbulence, storm and stress.
Another function that is of particular importance during a time of storm and stress is the function of mood management. Authors such as Arnett (1995), Laiho (2004) and Gantz, Garterberg, Pearson and Schiller (1978), mention this function as one of the main functions of music for teenagers. Lonsdale and North (2011) did a qualitative study on why teenagers listen to music and found that mood management was the most prominent theme during the interviews. The authors report that teenagers use music in order to manage their levels of arousal. It could help teenagers to relax and to obtain a level of energy. Music also articulated emotions that teenagers found hard to express themselves. Therefore, the music made it easier for the teenagers to understand their own emotions. Lastly, the music enhanced the emotions of the participants. For some participants, music functioned as a form of release, or catharsis. By listening to music, they were able to cope with certain negative emotions. It is questionable though if catharsis really exists. Bushman (2002) conducted an experiment in which the catharsis theory was put to a test. He states that venting anger creates more anger rather than decreasing it.
Another function of music that is closely related to mood management is the retrieving of memories. Studies by Janata, Tomic and Rakowski (2007) and Janata (2009) both show that music is an important trigger for autobiographical memories. The memories are associated with primarily positive feelings, but also with feelings of nostalgia (Janata et al., 2007).
Music seems to fulfill needs of adolescents and creates a sense of gratification. The Uses and Gratifications approach (Katz et al., 1973) could serve as a general theoretical framework for explaining associations between needs and gratifications. This approach focuses on the motives for individual music consumption and stresses how people
individual choice. “It is all about what people do with media, instead of what the media do to people” (Rubin, 1994, p.421). From this line of research it appears that people actively make use of media to satisfy needs instead of being passive recipients (Lonsdale & North, 2011).
The active use of media implies that people use media in order to satisfy particular needs. These needs can be rooted in a certain developmental stage (Laiho, 2004), but also within a certain personality (Delsing, ter Bogt, Engels and Meeus, 2008). Delsing, ter Bogt, Engels and Meeus (2008) state that people prefer particular kinds of music because they have particular personality characteristics that the music satisfies.
Music, Role Models and Identity
Hays and Minichiello (2005) state that music plays an important role in the lives of people, because through music they can come to know and reflect upon their own
personhood. The authors argue that people use music as a symbol for defining their own sense of identity and self. De Nora argues that it is not just the music by itself that functions as this symbol. The author (2000) argues that the entire affective and aesthetic qualities of music make music an effective tool in managing one’s identity and environment. The experience of music takes place within a context. The entire aesthetic effect of listening to a particular piece of music in a particular setting, with particular people (or alone), at a particular time of day makes popular music an important aesthetic tool for managing a person’s experience of self and the world.
The musicians are an important part of the experience of music and the identification process. Musicians can become role models: people whose behavior, values and beliefs are adopted by others (Fraser and Brown, 2009). According to Fraser and Brown (2009), this process takes place through the idea of social learning. Social learning theory by Bandura (1977) emphasizes the major roles that symbolic, vicarious and self-regulatory processes play
in mediated experiences. As soon as this process has taken place and the person believes he or she shares values and beliefs with the role model, identification has occurred.
Fraser and Brown (2009) state that some people do not function as positive role models, therefore their influence could be negative. It is questionable though if people will be passively indoctrinated by the values and beliefs of certain celebrities. According to the Uses and Gratifications theory, people actively seek out information that satisfies their needs. Jenkins (2006) describes media usage of fans along these lines. He describes fans as active, creative and critically engaged. People could cherry pick information that they find useful from certain models and media instead of passively absorbing values and beliefs. Jenkins (2006) explains how fans actively deal with media messages and role models: “In embracing popular texts, the fans claim those works as their own, remaking them in their own image, forcing them to respond to their needs and to gratify their desires” (Jenkins, 2006, pp 59). Fraser and Brown (2009) perceive the role of the audience in a more passive way. Though, they nuance their argument about the direct negative influence of bad role models by stating that the public naturally rejects a notion of moral failure, because it creates a
psychological dilemma. The public likes to believe that a role model acts morally right and therefore denies that the role model acted immorally. This idea is in line with the notion of Jenkins (2006) that the fans remake media texts into their own image.
Music and Today’s Media Environment
Our media environment has changed dramatically over the last years. Some of the main technological developments regarding the music environment have been the
development of the iPod and other mp3 players and the ability to listen to music on mobile phones and laptops (Rideout, Foehr & Roberts, 2010). In addition, Salo, Lakinen and Mäntymäki (2013), also mention the rise of content communities such as YouTube and Spotify as important contributors to the changing music environment. The developments in
our music environment have created more opportunities for people to listen to music (Rideout et al., 2010).
New developments have not only changed the way people listen to music. These developments also alter senses of identity and subculture based around music. Kruse (2010) states that local spaces designated to music are becoming less viable and less popular with the increasing popularity of the Internet. This has consequences for local identities. Kruse (2010) as well as Williams (2006) states that local identities become global with the Internet. People are able to share local music online and thereby create communities all over the world. The local identity of music fans has decentralized, but has not disappeared. Kruse (2010) argues that the local music scene is still important for a lot of music fans, in spite of the
globalization. Globalization does not completely eliminate the sense of the existence of local music and a local music scene, it broadens the musical orientations of scene participants. However, globalization of local cultures does not mean that everyone can join whichever subculture he or she likes. There is still a sense of authenticity and exclusiveness to the subcultures that globalize on the Internet. The study by Williams (2006) shows that members still halt other’s claims to particular subculture scenes.
Method
Studies that focus on the effects of rock music on adolescents often lack in describing the experience of listening to rock music (e.g. Lawrence & Joyner, 1991; Rustad, Small, Jobes, Safer & Peterson, 2003; Hansen & Hansen, 1990). Instead of focusing on the direct effects of music, it would be interesting to figure out how adolescents actively give meaning to the music that they are listening to. Instead of assuming that a media-message has a direct effect on the receiver, this study focuses on the paradigm by Shannon and Weaver (1949). They state: “The receiver is a sort of inverse transmitter, changing the transmitted signal back
into a message and handling this message to the destination” (Shannon and Weaver, 1949). This implies that there is a process (noise) going on between the media-message and the effect. This is the process that has received lack of attention regarding the subject of rock music. By doing in-depth interviews, this study provides room for participants to explain what happens in-between the communication-process from media-message to effect.
This study provides a view on rock music from the listener’s point of view instead of an analysis from people that do not participate in the scene. People that do not participate in the scene will have a hard time creating surveys and experiments because they do not seem to know what it means to be a scene participant. Survey-questions and experiments should be based on existing knowledge on the experience of rock music and this seems to be lacking. The best way to give adolescents the space to tell about their own experiences and express their thoughts freely is by doing in-depth interviews.
I have gathered as much details as possible from the participants. The open-ended questions have given the participants the freedom to answer from their own frame of reference. The participants were therefore not limited by the structure of pre-arranged questions. Since there were no hypotheses formulated to base the study on, in-depth
interviews had been analyzed inductively. This means that: “The theory emerges as a piece of art that is yet to be created, rather than a puzzle where the image is already known” (Bogdan & Biklen, 1982, p.2).
Interviews have provided descriptive information on the subject. This is explorative research, aimed at finding differences and variety between the participants. I sketched a broad idea of how different individuals make use of modern rock music in order to form a social as well as an individual identity.
This study focuses on modern rock. Modern rock music is a very broad genre. It is also known as contemporary rock. It is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio.
The term ‘modern’ is added to the word ‘rock’ mainly to differentiate it from ‘classic rock’, which focuses on the music produced between the 1960s through the early 1980s. Modern rock is produced after that.
Sample
In-depth interviews were held with 11 participants. They had to have an affinity with modern rock bands. They had to be listening to modern rock music on a regular basis. The participants had to be habituated in the Netherlands and they were aged between 16 and 18 years old during the interviews. Extremes within the population have been searched for by the means of purposeful sampling in order to illustrate the variety in the sample.
Procedure
The participants were approached via personal networks and via the street team of Up Magazine. This is a magazine about modern rock music, aimed at adolescents in the
Netherlands, for which this author works.
After approaching the participants, the participants under 18 were asked to have their parents sign an informed consent form. This informed consent form has been collected according to the guidelines of research ethics. The informed consent form provided clear information and understanding of the facts, implications and future consequences of the research. By signing the informed consent form, parents provided permission for their children to participate in this study.
The participants and researcher have conducted the interviews at a date and location that had been agreed on. The interviews took about one hour and they covered topics such as music preference, social identity and individual identity.
The interviews have been transcribed and analyzed with Atlas.ti. Variation and structure have been found though examining the ‘tree’ of language, symbols and the
interrelation between words/feelings/experience with the researchers subjectivity taken to be an asset. The analysis occurred in accordance with the Grounded Theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). This approach is based on the discovery of theory through the analysis of data. The data has been analyzed by assigning codes to key points in the data. These codes have been categorized into concepts in order to make the data more workable (Corbin & Strauss, 1990).
Results
The interviews that have been conducted give insight into the subject of the experience of rock music and the role that rock music plays in the everyday life of Dutch teenagers between the ages of 16 and 18. The results give an impression of the identities that the interviewed teenagers have. The participants have elaborated on several topics, such as the functions of rock music, their image of the typical rock star and the influence of this star on their daily lives, what it means to be a fan and friends / social environment.
The participants that have been interviewed reported listening to a wide variety of music subgenres and a wide variety of rock bands. Genres such as pop punk, alternative rock, punk rock and metal were mentioned most often. These genres seem to be very popular in today’s Dutch rock music environment. Bands that were mentioned on a regular basis were Linkin Park, All Time Low and Green Day. It has been notable that the participants do not only listen to modern rock music. Most of the participants mentioned listening to classic rock as well, usually as a result of a certain influence from their parents. It seems that listening to a certain genre is more important to them than listening to music that seems to be popular in this day and age.
Functions of Rock Music
The participants have reported listening to rock music for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons for listening to rock music is to help get through a tough period of time. Most of
the participants have said they experience difficult times in their lives and report, for instance, being perceived as the underdogs or getting bullied at school. These teenagers often tend to find support in music and lyrics. The musicians write lyrics that they interpret in their own ways. They typically interpret the lyrics in a way that helps them to deal with certain issues in their lives. Music can offer support in times that teenagers feel lack of support from friends and family. As mentioned in the theoretical framework, music can thus function as a peer or a friend.
I have had a shitty past and I often find myself living in the past. I’ll listen to music when I have negative thoughts. It makes me realize I’m worth it and it gives me support.
The music and lyrics helped me in a time that friends and family couldn’t be there for me. It also helped me at a time I couldn’t really help myself. The music and lyrics gave me a sense of hope. I have learned that it won’t be the end of the world if something bad happens.
Another way for teenagers to deal with difficult times is to close themselves off with rock music. They put on their headphones in order to escape the world around them as well as their worries inside. It seems to make them feel save in an environment they do not feel entirely save and comfortable in.
You could go to another place with music. You can go to your room, but the way I see it, you can also go to music. If you listen to music, everything else seems gone. It is just you and the band you’re listening to.
All of the participants have mentioned using rock music as a tool for managing their mood. Most of the participants say that they listen a certain band or genre to reinforce their current mood. One would listen to happy music when one is in a good mood. One would listen to sad music, when one is experiencing emotions of sadness and melancholy. The teenagers reported that they do not feel like listening to happy music when they are feeling angry or sad. The gloomy music makes them feel even worse for a while. They allow
themselves to feel sad or angry for a small period of time and they seem to allow themselves to have some self-pity. It seems like they do not necessarily have a problem admitting they are feeling down. They recognize their negative emotions and are open about it. Some of the teenagers reported being able to step out of these negative emotions sooner when listening to sad or angry music as opposed to listening to non-sad music.
Sometimes you have this negative emotion and you just need to find a way to get rid of it. A band can make you hear what this negative emotion you’re feeling sounds like. Hearing this makes you experience the emotion in a more extreme way and this allows you to get rid of it. I think the music defines the emotion you’re going through and that allows you to solve the problem.
This illustrates another important point that multiple participants have made. Music has the ability to define emotions or problems that the teenagers have not been able to define themselves. As soon as they understand where the bad mood is coming from, it seems easier for them to snap out of their mood. It also illustrates that teenagers can use music as a form of catharsis. They use music as a purification of their emotions. This is not only the case when listening to sad music while being in a bad mood. Participants have also reported using rock music as a tool to let their frustration and aggression out.
When I’m angry I listen to angry music. It’s like my aggression flows over in the music and that calms me down. It’s like someone else is getting rid of my aggression.
Music does not only reinforce moods. Participants reported seeking opposite stimulation when feeling tired. Rock music can wake you up in times you are feeling tired and it can give you extra power while you are working out. One participant described the feeling of getting energy as having _“the beast”_ released in him by rock music.
I am not really sure how to describe this “beast” feeling, but it is a really uplifting feeling. It feels as if you are at a concert and the entire venue is going wild.
When asked for other reasons to listen to rock music, participants mentioned
retrieving memories. Certain songs seem to remind participants about certain events. These could be very emotional events, like a funeral, but also very pleasant events such as concerts. Some participants mentioned that they like to think about the concerts they have attended. Thinking back makes them recreate the event in their heads and that creates feelings of happiness and nostalgia. Therefore, retrieving memory with music can be seen as a form of mood management as well.
I listen to music for retrieving memories. Some songs make you think of a very pleasant time. I listen to the song in order to enable myself to go back to a certain moment.
The general functions of music go beyond mood management. Music can also
function as a learning tool. Some of the teenagers mentioned learning something from lyrics. As mentioned above, teenagers find hope and support in lyrics when they are going through difficult times. Not all participants actually listen to the lyrics. The interviewed teenagers that do listen to lyrics report finding personal satisfaction in lyrics, rather than learning about general worldviews. Only when specifically asked for the influence of lyrics on their
worldview, some participants reported having learned something from some bands. Most of the participants described the worldviews of rock bands in terms that were associated with political relevance. They seem to believe that rock bands really take a stance in political and personal issues.
If I look back at myself, like five years ago, I used to be a very naïve girl. I think that lyrics from bands have made me more conscious about what is going on in the world. Rise Against is a band with a very particular worldview. They sing about things that are really true. Lyrics have taught me that the world isn’t just beautiful. […] The world isn’t a terrible place, but it’s certainly not perfect.
It is not only the lyrics that teenagers learn from. Music itself could function as a learning tool for teenagers that are interested in the technical structure of music. These are the
teenagers that report making music themselves. They seem to listen to music in a more technical way than their peers.
I learn from how they solve things in music and how they use certain elements to determine the atmosphere of the music. I also learn from how they involve others in the music and from how they use vocal-techniques. Sometimes I try to imitate the vocals. […] It’s not like I want to imitate them on stage, but I feel like I can learn from them and use some of the techniques in my songs.
Image of Rock Stars and the Influence of this Image on Daily Perceptions
A rock star is being described as a tough, liberal, open-minded mainly male character. Skinny jeans, leather and long hair were often part of the rock star’s perceived appearance. Keith Richards (Rolling Stones), Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones), Slash (Guns ‘n Roses) and Danny Worsnop (Asking Alexandria) were mentioned as examples of typical rock stars. Even though rock stars are described as tough and ragged, they are also perceived as sweet, caring and often respectful at the same time. Some participants described two kinds of rock stars; the a-social, rude rock stars and the sweet rock stars that care about their fans.
If I think about rock stars, I think about two types of rock stars. You have the a-social rock stars, but you also have the rock stars that care a lot about their fans. […] If I think about an a-social rock star, I tend to think of alcohol and smoking. The kind of thing you see on television. But I don’t really know any rock stars that are like that. There are also the rock stars like the ones from Tonight Alive. They really care about their fans. They do a lot for their fans. […] Sometimes bands think it’s unfair to talk to one fan and not with the other and therefore they don’t talk to anyone, sometimes they are just tired and sometimes they just don’t feel like hanging out with fans. I do understand, I mean making music is of course the most important part. But it is too bad if they can’t hang out with fans because they are too busy or tired.
This illustrates an important point that came across in multiple interviews. Rock stars are not always perceived as saints. Though, when the rock stars disappoint the fans, they seem to get away with it. The teenagers seem to justify most of their bad behavior and
attribute character traits with positive connotations. When the participants were asked about the sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll lifestyle, they also seemed to justify the rock star’s behavior. Some teenagers believe that the lifestyle used to be out there. Some of the interviewed teenagers believe that this lifestyle still exists, but they do not think it is a big problem. The teenagers seem to avoid creating cognitive dissonance. They have a certain positive image of a rock star and even though they seem to know that this image is not always right, they would like to make themselves believe that it is. The teenagers are looking for a role model and they fit this role model within a certain mould that they think is perfect for them.
I think that the sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll lifestyle doesn’t exists among a lot of bands anymore. It seems to be something from the past. I think modern rock stars are actually very kind, just like most people.
The sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll lifestyle is not really my thing. I do see the appeal in it and I don’t have any problems with it. It can be pretty hard to be famous and some don’t know how to handle the fame. Personal issues could lead to this lifestyle as well. They have the money and at some point no one is stopping you from living this lifestyle, so I can imagine why they would.
The sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll lifestyle is sometimes perceived as a result of the liberal, free attitude of the rock stars. The participants described the attitude as liberal, open-minded and positive. This view contributes to the positive image that the teenagers seem to have.
Rock stars are living the real life, with all the drugs and alcohol. They try everything. They do a lot of things that God has forbidden. They make sure they make the best out of life.
They have a very positive attitude; they have the most amazing job. A rock star can do anything he likes. They have an attitude of ‘everything will be alright’.
The participants seem to glorify the behavior of the typical rock star. Some of them emulate their perception on the rock star’s attitude on life. Note that this emulation only
seems to work when their perception of the rock star’s attitude on life is positive. The teenagers seem to cherry pick attributes of the behavior when choosing to emulate the rock star. The teenagers would like to apply the liberal and positive attitude to their own lives, but not to the extent where drugs and alcohol are involved.
I think it’s a great attitude to try to make the best out of life. I do think you damage a lot when you start trying all sorts of drugs. I’m not against it, but I won’t try them out myself.
The perception that teenagers have of rock stars’ attitude on life seems to be overall quite positive. The perception that they have on the attitude and behavior towards women seems a little more varied among the participants. Some of the participants think that rock stars are actually very respectable towards women, while others think that they objectify women. When compared to the perceived attitude of hip-hop stars towards women, it appears that the teenagers have a far more positive view on rock stars than hip-hop stars.
I think rock stars look at women in a respectable way. He just wants to have someone that comes along and supports him. He wants someone that loves him. I don’t think he has a lot of demands. He just wants to be with someone that accepts what he is doing.
I think both within the rock- and hip-hop scene women are seen as sex objects. But if you look at the personal Facebook accounts of the rock stars, you can see that they do have wives and children. I think that they do respect women in their personal life. I think rock stars live a different life on tour than they do at home.
If I listen to the way women are described in hip-hop songs, I have the feeling that hip-hop stars are constantly looking for the most beautiful women. It doesn’t really matter how she acts, she just needs to look good.
It appears that some of the participants dream of being that woman on the rock star’s side. They describe some particular rock stars as boyfriend material or even as the ultimate life-partner. Others did not necessarily want to date or marry a rock star. The teenagers that
report wanting to date or marry a rock star seems to glorify the idea of them even more than the other participants. They create an image of them that might seem faulty to most people, but true to themselves. They seem to ignore the negative characteristics that rock stars most likely have.
My ultimate music-fantasy will be to marry a rock star. The drummer of the Dirty Youth is so cute! […] I had a chat with him and I made some selfies with him. […] He has these bright blue eyes and he seems really shy. I think that is cute.
I’d like to have a partner that has this rock star attitude of ‘everything will be alright’, since I’m like that as well. Apart from that I don’t really care. I don’t need to date a rock star. I like nerdy guys as well it really depends.
The Notion of Fandom
What it means to be a fan seems to be different among the participants. Some fans think it is fine to call yourself a fan when you know some of the songs. Others think you need to know a little bit more about a band than just the hit singles. It seemed that for some people it is a privilege to be a fan and for others it seemed like a group they do not want to be associated with. The latter seem to focus merely on the music. It seems as if these teenagers do not have a need for rock star role models in their lives. They solely use the music as a positive influence on their lives.
I think you can call yourself a fan if you just like the music. It doesn’t really matter whether you like one or all of the songs. If you say you’re a fan, you’re privileged to be a fan. If you call yourself a fan, you obviously like the band enough to perceive yourself as a fan.
I think the difference between liking a band and being a fan is that you know more about the band than just the music. For instance, Sonata Artica, I know all of the songs, but I can’t really call myself a fan because I don’t even know all the names of the band members.
I don’t really like fandom. Well, it’s not like I hate it, but I don’t like the girls that go crazy. I can’t stand the screaming fan girls. It’s okay to be a fan and go to the concerts and listen to the music, but there are some people that constantly keep an eye on these bands and stalk them. […] I’m not really the stalker kind of girl.
Some fans connect with each other in fan communities. Some communities are merely based around a particular band and others are broader than that. One thing that the communities have in common is that they facilitate making friendships. Some fans go to the communities to make new friends or keep in touch with friends and others merely go to the communities to gather information about a band.
I read interviews with Linkin Park on a fan-site. The people on this fan-site also seem to be interested in the creative spirit that lies behind the band’s work. I don’t really talk with the fans on the fan-site. I’m actually more of a lurker. […] I find it interesting to read the discussions that other people have. I am on this community website called Go Supermodel. […] I basically use it as a forum on which I talk to people. You can find a lot of people there that listen to rock music. You can meet a lot of people on this website and create friendships.
Most of the teenagers that were interviewed dreamed about meeting their favorite band. The fans told about how they experience meeting bands. Some fans reported being very nervous, while others seem to be able to stay calm. All forms of connection with a band seem to impact the teenagers in some sort of way. They seem to be excited, even if a band member only makes eye contact or throws a drumstick at them during a show. The teenagers seem to enjoy the feeling of being recognized by a band, even though they presume that the band probably will not have a lasting memory of them. Again, it seems like the teenagers create an image of the band that seems beneficial for their image of them. They know that the band probably will not remember them, but they like to think that they can make an everlasting connection with the band. The image that they create of the band is one that they want to see.
When you’re standing right in front of the band during a show, you have interaction with the band. I seem to have eye contact with bands quite often. Sometimes they throw a pick at me. […] It makes me really happy. It makes me feel like oh my God, they know that I exist, even though they probably forget about me in a bit.
Friends and Social Environment
As mentioned above, most of the teenagers have experienced some difficult times. They do not always fit in and some of them are perceived as the underdogs. These teenagers clearly define their friends that listen to rock music as people that understand them and accept them for who they are. They mention that acceptation is also a value that comes across quite often in the songs that they are listening to. The people that do not listen to rock music, but for instance to Dutch rap music or top 40 music, seem to be described as the ‘out-group’. Some of the participants have said not to care about the judgments of the ‘out-group’, while others feel hurt when the ‘out-group’ does not understand them.
My parents do not accept the fact that I like to listen to rock music. They think it’s gothic and emo. They don’t perceive it as peaceful music. [...] I also have friends that dress up a little bit more extreme, like gothic. My parents don’t allow me to hang out with them. They say my friends are dangerous and bad. I tend to ignore it.
You’re obligated to go to school until you’re eighteen years old, you have to study, you have to get a good job. It’s not about what you want, it’s about what society expects from you. I don’t like that. You have to fit the mould in order to be accepted. The kids in my class don’t accept rock music. They think I’m weird. Society expects you to be standard, so that you fit in. I don’t like that. I don’t belong, I’m not a standard girl and that makes me feel left out.
I felt insecure about not fitting in, but at some point you meet people that think the same way and listen to the same music. This became my group of friends. I realized that it isn’t important to be popular. Music is what the people I met had in common, so that was really the start of our friendship.
The teenagers described their friends that listen to rock music as open-minded and different from the standard. These friends seem to have similar personalities. The teenagers like talking about music and bands with these friends and going to rock shows together. Going to shows makes them happy and having the feeling that they belong to a certain group seems to make them feel even happier. This acceptance in a certain group seems more important among the teenagers that feel left out or get bullied. These teenagers also seem to have the idea that people that listen to rock music have different characteristics than people that do not listen to rock music. They seem to assume that people that listen to rock music are more open-minded and therefore willing to accept others. Some participants also mentioned that they are smarter and willing to think deeper about issues on personal and global level.
I think that people that listen to rock music are actually a particular kind of people. They think differently about certain things. They have different opinions about women and about the world in general. They accept everyone and they have an opinion about more things than other people. They have a clear point of view and they dig a little deeper.
Concluding note
The teenagers that have been interviewed all reported experiencing very positive influences from rock music and rock bands. Even though the music might not be inherently positive, the fans seem to give a twist to the meaning of the lyrics in order to create a positive influence from them for themselves. The teenagers also only seem to listen to lyrics that have a positive influence on them. Bands are often glorified, which often results in glorification of the bands worldview. Bands are repeatedly perceived as idealistic and, as mentioned above, positive and liberal. These perceived attitudes also seem to have a positive effect on the teenagers. The teenagers reported trying to implement these attitudes into their own lives. When the bands are perceived as uncaring and relentless, it does not seem to influence the fans in a bad way. The fans reported not to be willing to copy the behavior of relentless rock
stars. The role model that is said to be the rock star seems to be a combination of the rock star’s positive characteristics and a reflection of their own ideas of perfection.
Conclusion
By the means of in-depth interviews, the following research question has been answered: What is the role of modern rock music in the identity formation of adolescents in the Netherlands?
Most of the teenagers that have been interviewed perceive themselves as outsiders. They get bullied and experience puberty as a very difficult period. They clearly experience the period of storm and stress that Arnett (1999) has referred to. According to the Uses and Gratifications theory (Katz et al., 1973), people seek out particular media to satisfy their needs. The needs that these teenagers have are mainly rooted in fields of acceptance, support and regulation of emotions.
The entire aesthetic and affective qualities of the music seem important in order to satisfy particular needs (De Nora, 2000). The aesthetic of a song can contribute to a
phenomenon called mood management. A teenager can enhance his or her emotions with a song or countering low levels of energy when feeling tired. He or she can also cope with anger or give his or her emotions a definition by listening to a song. Mood management seemed to be one of the most important reasons to listen to rock music. Retrieving memories could be part of managing one’s mood since this often gives people feelings of happiness or nostalgia. Some teenagers reported learning from rock music. The lyrics can provide new insights into worldviews and the musical structures seem to be interesting for aspiring musicians.
In times of difficulty, teenagers seem to find comfort in fandom. The teenagers like to create a community around a band, where they find friends that are likeminded and different
just like they are. These friends are really important to them, because among them they find acceptance and support. Within this group, they feel save. Bands are often glorified within this community. The role model provides positive examples for the fans. The role model that is said to be the rock star seems to be a combination of the rock star’s positive characteristics and a reflection of their own idea of perfection. This implies that the rock star role model is an illusion, but a largely positive influence on youth.
Discussion
As stated before, teenagers that listen to rock music often perceive themselves as the underdogs. They tend to find a group in which they feel accepted. The social identity theory (Tajfel, 1982) states that you determine who you are based on your group membership. This is something that is very remarkable in this study. Teenagers determine who they are based on the group they belong to. They find themselves and the people around them very open-minded and therefore willing to accept others. Rock fans perceive themselves smarter and less superficial than non-rock fans. By glorifying their ‘in-group’ and condescending the ‘out group’, they enhance their self-image. This is in line with the findings of Hogg (2006). The results of this study emphasize how important music is in the notion of social identity. Social identity and social needs are closely related, Needs of finding acceptance and support seem to be of great importance for the interviewed teenagers. This implies that social needs are of particular importance. As Hargreaves and North (1997, 1999) said, these
functions are often overlooked even though they are of great importance. I would suggest putting more emphasis on social needs in future research. Another point of discussion derives from the origin of the needs that these teenagers have. Laiho (2004) argues that the needs derive from a certain developmental stage, while Delsing, ter Bogt, Engels and Meeus (2008) state that people prefer particular kinds of music because they have particular personality characteristics that the music satisfies. It is questionable whether needs for acceptance and
support derive from a certain personality or a developmental stage. A longitudinal research could show if the needs of teenagers that listen to rock music are a result of the
developmental stage or part of their core personality.
The results of this study show that teenagers deal with difficult times partially by closing themselves off with rock music. They put on their headphones in order to escape the world around them. According to Rideout, Foehr & Roberts (2010), the music environment has changed dramatically in the last few years. The new developments in music-technology could offer new opportunities for teenagers to create this feeling of escapism. The
development of iPods and mp3 players for instance create opportunities to listen to music in public transport. Future research could focus on these new possibilities that technological developments enable.
Another way for teenagers to deal with difficult times is to use music as a form of mood management. Some teenagers mentioned listening to sad and angry music when they are feeling sad and angry. They said that they could snap out of the negative emotion faster when enhancing the mood with music. Londsdale and North (2011) found similar results and referred to it as catharsis. Even though the participants seem to think that they can vent their negative emotions by listening to angry or sad songs, catharsis theory lacks sufficient
empirical evidence (Bushman, 2002). Bushman shows in his study that venting could actually create more anger. Though, he only focuses on anger in his study. It would be interesting to research the effect of sad or angry music on other negative emotions than mere anger. Closely related to mood management is the function of music to retrieve memories. The findings of this study are in line with the findings of Janata et al. (2007). Both the studies found that the memories that are retrieved trigger mainly positive feelings and sometimes feelings of nostalgia. For future research it would be interesting to find out how a person would deal with a song that reminds him or her of a negative experience.
The results of this study point into a direction in which rock music can be a very positive influence on adolescents that encounter a difficult period in their lives. It is
impossible to prove this causal relationship with this method. You would need longitudinal studies and/or experiments to study the causal relationship between music, depression and happiness over a longer period of time. This study provides a base for other research though, because it provides explanations from the adolescents’ point of view. Instead of directly focusing on effects, this study focused on the experience. Whereas other studies merely focus on direct effects, this study is based on the paradigm proposed by Shannon and Weaver (1949), who state that there is something going on between media-message and effect. This so called ‘noise’ is very important in understanding how adolescents give meaning to rock music. Future quantitative research could build on this knowledge and base its research on these results.
Future research based on these results could provide insights in what would happen if the perfect illusion that teenagers have is destroyed. Teenagers seem to create a perfect illusion of rock stars that do not always behave well. To a certain extent they could ignore this bad behavior. It would be interesting to find out what would happen if the bad behavior is no longer ignorable.
The interviewed teenagers have reported listening to a variety of rock music, ranging from pop punk to hardcore metal. None of the participants have reported listening to satanic metal, death metal or hardcore punk. These genres can possibly influence adolescents in a different way than the genres that have been covered. Future research could focus on the heavier rock genres in order to research their influence on identity formation.
Some of the participants reported having a very bad image of the hip hop music, the social scene and behavior of hip hop stars. It would be interesting to further research the role of hip hop music on their identity and on the identity of hip hop fans, especially with regards
to gender identity.
The interviews have been conducted among 10 girls and 1 boy. The balance among gender is very skewed. The street team of Up Magazine and my personal network provided mainly girls. Within the timeframe of this research it seemed difficult to find a balanced sample of both girls and boys. For future research, it seems like a good idea to study the differences of the role of rock music on the identity information of adolescent boys and girls. Within this research there were no notable differences between the perceptions of the boy and the girls.
I would like to end this study with a philosophical note. There seems to be this
everlasting discussion among researchers whether the public makes sense of media messages in a passive or active way. Does the media indoctrinate us or do we make active sense of what we see and hear in the media? This study is based on the active side of the paradigm. The Uses and Gratifications theory was used to make sense of the utilization of rock music by adolescents. Jenkins (2006) mentions that the audience uses media in a very active way in order to satisfy needs. He also states that fans create their own image of popular texts. This study supports this statement. The teenagers that have been interviewed for this study seemed to create images of rock stars and their messages that were beneficial to them. It was
interesting to see how adolescents made use of rock music in a very active way, even though they perceive the rock stars and the music as very impressionable forces. They seem to think that rock stars and music have a very big influence on them, but they do not realize that they make sense of their messages in a very active way. They construct the rock star and the music in a way that seems positive for them. In contrast to what Fraser and Brown (2009) say, there seems to be no negative influence from the role models. The teenagers cherry pick the songs and characteristics of the rock stars that seem beneficial for them. They also give meaning to the rock stars and the music in a favorable way. The teenagers think that they perceive many
of the media messages in a passive way, even though they seem to perceive them in a very active way. They might think they get indoctrinated, because media is often blamed for negative influences. Instead of focusing on possible threats of media on children, people should be focusing on how children actually make sense of media messages. It seems that media messages are not always translated in the most obvious way or the same way among all receivers.
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Appendix
The quotes by the interviewed teenagers have been translated from Dutch to English. Below are the translated and original quotes.
I have had a shitty past and I often find myself living in the past. I’ll listen to music when I have negative thoughts. It makes me realize I’m worth it and it gives me support.
Ik heb op zich best wel een kutverleden gehad en ik blijf vaak heel erg in het verleden hangen en dan ga ik gewoon muziek luisteren en dat soort dingen als ik weer slechte gedachtes heb ofzo. Hoe helpt muziek je om weer op betere gedachtes te komen? Naja het laat me inzien dat je het wel waard bent ofzo. Wat voor gevoel probeer je dan uit de teksten te halen? Steun ofzo.
The music and lyrics helped me in a time that friends and family couldn’t be there for me. It also helped me in a time I couldn’t really help myself. The music and lyrics gave me a sense of hope. I have learned that it won’t be the end of the world if something bad happens.
Gewoon de muziek en de lyrics in de tijd dat ik het ontzettend moeilijk heb gehad. daar heeft het mij best wel doorheen geholpen als vrienden of familie dat niet voor mij konden. Of als ik het zelf niet kon. Op wat voor manier heeft de muziek jou daar dan doorheen geholpen? Gewoon hoop geven, dat er gewoon hoop is, dat alles gewoon nog verder gaat en dat het niet het einde van de wereld is als er iets gebeurt.
You could go to another place with music. You can go to your room, but the way I see it, you can also go to music. If you listen to music, everything else seems gone. It is just you and the band you’re listening to.
Ja, gewoon die andere plek. Je kan naar je kamer gaan, maar je kunt in mijn beleving ook naar muziek gaan. Alles is dan even weg. Je zit er dan met het bandje.
Sometimes you have this negative emotion and you just need to find a way to get rid of it. A band can make you hear what this negative emotion you’re feeling sounds like. Hearing this makes you experience the emotion in a more extreme way and this allows you to get rid of it. I think the music defines the emotion you’re going though and that allows you to solve the problem.
Ja het is gewoon een gevoel en dat gevoel moet eruit en als je dan hoort hoe zo een gevoel klinkt dan maak je het iets extremer mee en dan gaat het er in een keer uit en dan ben je er een soort sneller vanaf heb ik het gevoel. Meer van je zit met een gevoel en je weet niet wat het is maar als je het dan kan definiëren, dan kan je het ook oplossen zeg maar. Dan gaat het op de een of andere manier toch wel weer over.
When I’m angry I listen to angry music. It’s like my aggression flows over in the music and that calms me down. It’s like someone else is getting rid of my aggression.
Ja mijn agressie gaat dan over in de muziek waardoor ik rustiger wordt. Een ander gooit dan een soort van mijn agressie eruit.
I am not really sure how to describe this “beast” feeling, but it is a really uplifting feeling. It feels as if you are at a concert and the entire venue is going wild.
Ik weet niet hoe je het anders moet omschrijven, maar een beetje zo van ja hoe zal ik het zeggen. Een beetje oproerend. Dat vind ik ook wel, een beetje als je het je kan voorstellen bij een concert dat de hele zaal uit zn dak gaat.
I listen to music for retrieving memories. Some songs make you think of a very pleasant time. I listen to the song in order to enable myself to go back to a certain moment.
Om herinneringen op te halen. Sommige nummers doen je denken aan een hele fijne tijd. Soms luister ik dan opnieuw naar het nummer om het moment voor me te zien.
If I look back at myself, like five years ago, I used to be a very naïve girl. I think that lyrics from bands have made me more conscious about what is going on in the world. Rise Against is a band with a very
particular worldview. They sing about things that are really true. Lyrics have taught me that the world isn’t just beautiful. […] The world isn’t a terrible place, but it’s certainly not perfect.
Als ik naar mezelf terugkijk, een jaar of 5 geleden. Toen was ik een heel braaf meisje. Ik denk dat de teksten mij bewust hebben gemaakt van de wereld. Rise Against staat echt ergens voor en de teksten gaan over dingen die echt waar zijn. Gewoon wat bewuster worden dat de wereld niet zo rozengeur en manenschijn is. Niet dat de wereld verschrikkelijk is, maar het is niet allemaal perfect. Daar hebben sommige teksten mij wel bewuster van gemaakt.
I learn from how they solve things in music and how they use certain elements to determine the atmosphere of the music. I also learn from how they involve others in the music and from how they use vocal-techniques. Sometimes I try to imitate the vocals. […] It’s not like I want to imitate them on stage, but I feel like I can learn from them and use some of the techniques in my songs.
Hoe zij dingen oplossen in muziek hoe ze bepaalde muzikale dingen gebruiken om de sfeer te bepalen. Hoe ze andere invloeden daarin meetrekken. Maar ook zangtechnieken, hoe zingt zij het zodat ik het precies kan nazingen. Dan kan je dat ook weer overnemen. Ook qua ademen, wanneer ze stoppen, qua klank, niet zozeer dat je ze wil imiteren maar zodat je dat in een ander nummer weer kan toepassen.
If I think about rock stars, I think about two types of rock stars. You have the a-social rock stars, but you also have the rock stars that care a lot about their fans. […] If I think about an a-social rock star, I tend to think of alcohol and smoking. The kind of thing you see on television. But I don’t really know any rock stars that are like that. There are also the rock stars like the ones from Tonight Alive. They really care about their fans. They do a lot for their fans. […] Sometimes bands think it’s unfair to talk to one fan and not with the other and therefore they don’t talk to anyone, sometimes they are just tired and sometimes they just don’t feel like hanging out with fans. I do understand, I mean making music is of course the most important part. But it is too bad if they can’t hang out with fans because they are too busy or tired.
Ik heb toch wel dat als ik aan een rockster denk dan denk ik toch wel dat het hele asociale mensen zijn als rockster zijnde maar je hebt ook rocksterren die ook heel erg met hun fans begaan zijn. Ik heb niet echt een standaardbeeld bij een rockster eigenlijk. Wat bedoel je dan
met de asociale kant van een rockster? Ik denk dan altijd heel erg aan drank en roken en dat leven weet je wel wat ze altijd op tv laten zien. Maar ik weet zo niet wie die kant is opgegaan. En de rocksterren die wel begaan zijn met fans, wat zijn daar voorbeelden van?
Tonight Alive die zijn gewoon heel meegaand met fans en die proberen gewoon zo veel mogelijk met fans te doen en die geven ook om de fans en dat vind ik gewoon leuk om te zien. Er zijn heel veel bands die dat in het begin wel doen, maar hoe groter ze worden hoe minder ze met fans wat gaan doen. Dat vind ik wel jammer dat ze zich meer met zichzelf gaan bezig houden en minder met de fans waardoor ze er zijn gekomen.
I think that the sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll lifestyle doesn’t exists among a lot of bands anymore. It seems to be something from the past. I think modern rock stars are actually very kind, just like most people.
Ja, ik weet niet. Ik vind dat de tegenwoordige rockmuziek in mijn ogen is het wel een stuk minder terwijl vroeger was het wel echt zo, maar nu zie ik het meer als lieve mensen, de meeste mensen.
The sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll lifestyle is not really my thing. I do see the appeal in it and I don’t have any problems with it. It can be pretty hard to be famous and some rock stars don’t know how to handle the fame. Personal issues could lead to this lifestyle as well. They have the money and at some point no one is stopping you from living this lifestyle, so I can image why they would.
Wat vind je van het hele sex drugs en rock n roll stereotype? Het is niet mijn ding, maar ik kan me wel voorstellen dat mensen het leuk vinden en ik zie er ook geen problemen mee ofzo. Waarom denk je dat rocksterren zo nu en dan in zo een patroon vervallen? Het is natuurlijk best wel wat om zo beroemd te zijn het zou best kunnen dat ze het niet aankunnen, maar ook gewoon persoonlijke situaties kunnen een aanleiding zijn. Je hebt het geld en op een gegeven moment is er ook niemand meer die je tegenhoud en dan kan ik me wel voorstellen dat het gebeurt.
Rock stars are living the real life, with all the drugs and alcohol. They try everything. They do a lot of things that God has forbidden. They make sure they make the best out of life.
Hoe denk je dat de typische rockster zich gedraagt in het dagelijks leven? Ja de voorbeelden die ik genoemd heb, drugs, alcohol, echt het leven. Waarom zijn drugs en alcohol het leven? Nee maar gewoon dat je alles geprobeerd hebt. Veel doen dat God verboden heeft. Elke dag het maximale eruit halen. Proberen alles uit het leven te halen.
Rock stars have a very positive attitude; they have the most amazing job. A rock star can do anything he likes. They have an attitude of ‘everything will be alright’.
Hoe denk je dat een muzikant in het leven staat? Positief, hij heeft een vet mooie baan, hij kan gewoon alles doen wat hij leuk vind. Ze hebben een beetje een attitude van alles komt wel goed zeg maar.
I think it’s a great attitude to try to make the best out of life. I do think you damage a lot when you start trying all sorts of drugs. I’m not against it, but I won’t try them out myself.
Aan de ene kant vind ik het super tof dat je gewoon alles doet en alles uit het leven wil halen, maar aan de andere kant maak je best wel wat kapot als je alle soorten drugs probeert. Ik ben er niet op tegen, maar ik zal het niet zelf doen.
I think rock stars look at women in a respectable way. A rock star just want to have someone that comes along and supports him. He wants someone that loves him. I don’t think a rock star has a lot of demands. He just wants to be with someone that accepts what he is doing.
Best wel respectvol denk ik. Ze willen gewoon iemand die met je meegaat en je steunt in wat je doet en heel veel van je houd. Ik denk niet dat er ontzettend veel eisen aan zitten. Gewoon iemand die accepteert dat je op tour bent of wat dan ook.
I think both within the rock- and hip-hop scene women are seen as sex objects. But if you look at the personal Facebook accounts of the rock stars, you can see that they do have wives and children. I think that they do respect women in their personal life. I think rock stars live a different life on tour than they do at home.
Ja...Ik denk dat binnen beide scenes vrouwen meer als lustobject gezien worden dan echt als vrouw. Maar als je op Facebook kijkt zie je wel hun vrouwen en kinderen. Ik denk dat ze in
hun priveleven wel respect hebben voor vrouwen. Prive leiden ze waarschijnlijk een ander leven dan als ze op tour zijn.
If I listen to the way women are described in hip-hop songs, I have the feeling that hip- hop stars are constantly looking for the most beautiful women. It doesn’t really care how she acts, she just needs to look good.
Als je kijkt naar een hiphopster, hoe ziet zijn ideale vrouw eruit? Zoals ze in de liedjes beschreven worden. De mooiste vrouw die ze kunnen vinden en volgens mij maakt het niet eens uit hoe ze doet, maar alleen hoe ze eruit ziet, dat gevoel heb ik er altijd bij.
My ultimate music-fantasy will be to marry a rock star. The drummer of the Dirty Youth is so cute! […] I had a chat with him and I made some selfies with him. […] He has this bright blue eyes and he seems really shy. I think that is cute.
Wat is jouw ultieme muziekfantasie? Ik denk toch wel trouwen met een bandlid ofzo. De drummer van The Dirty Youth is zo leuk. Hij volgt me nu ook op Twitter. Hij stond buiten tussen de fans en ik dacht dat hij ook een fan was en ik dacht wow wat is dat een leuke jongen en toen gingen we naar binnen en die soundcheck was dus bezig en toen stond hij daar opeens. Ik heb nog even gepraat met hem. Ik heb selfies met hem gemaakt. Ik vind het wel grappig dat hij me nu volgt op Twitter. Ik snap nog steeds niet waarom hij me volgt.
I’d like to have a partner that has this rock star attitude of ‘everything will be alright’, since I’m like that as well. Apart from that I don’t really care. I don’t need to date a rock star. I like nerdy guys as well it really depends.
In hoeverre denk je dat jouw ideale partner lijkt op een rockster? Die houding zeg maar van het komt wel goed, die zou ik wel prettig vinden want zo ben ik ook heel erg, maar verder maakt het me niet zoveel uit zeg maar. Ik hoef niet met een rockster te daten ofzo. Nee van die saaie, sullige typjes vind ik ook wel weer leuk. Het hangt ervan af.
I think you can call yourself a fan if you just like the music. It doesn’t really matter whether you like one or all of the songs. If you say you’re a fan, you’re privileged to be a fan. If you call yourself a fan, you obviously like the band enough to perceive yourself as a fan.
