Pop Stars
ANIMA! Lyrics

These lyrics speak to the paradoxical nature of being a pop star and the expectations that come along with it. The opening lines, "You're so / This but / You're so that too," highlight the conflicting and contradictory nature of being a public figure. It suggests that pop stars often have to conform to various personas and roles that may not necessarily align with their true selves.

The lines, "How can / Something / Be so sweet / And sour too," further emphasize this duality. Pop stars are often adored and idolized by fans, represented by the sweetness, but they also face intense scrutiny and criticism, represented by the sourness. This highlights the pressure they face to constantly maintain a positive image while navigating the harsh realities of fame.

The chorus, "Check, check, check all of the boxes / Give us radio dreams / Feed it to the machine / Paint it with all of the colors / Make it shiny, new, clean / Then rip it at its gold seams," exposes the commercialization and commodification of the music industry. Pop stars are expected to conform to certain standards, appealing to broad audiences. They are essentially packaged and polished for mass consumption, but this process can feel restrictive and suffocating.

The repeated line, "Whatever you do don't do," emphasizes the pressure on pop stars to not make mistakes, deviate from the expected path, or reveal their true selves. It suggests that the industry limits their authenticity and creative expression, forcing them to conform to a manufactured image. The longing for something different is expressed in lines like "Could you / Try to / Tie a rope around the moon / Give us / What we've / Never seen and / What we're used to."

Overall, these lyrics shed light on the internal conflict faced by pop stars, the struggle to navigate the expectations of the industry, and the desire for creative freedom within a system that thrives on control and conformity.