Issue 62: Meme Music: An Integral Bond Between Meme Culture and Pop Music

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a young socialite that may be sick of men assuming that she’s easy just because she gets drunk and dances on table tops. Closing out the album is a genius cover of Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy.” After ten tracks of Hilton telling us how sexy she is, it’s almost too perfect that she then finally decides to ask us to confirm it. Her baby voice is in full form here, dripping over the lyrics, making it seem as though this song was written for Hilton to cover. Paris Hilton is likely a much more complex character then the overall public assumes. Paris at first listen may seem shallow and disconnected from the rest of the world, but it is also a product of growing up undeniably famous. Although we probably will never get the real image of who Paris Hilton really is, that’s likely what made and continues to make Paris so intriguing. •  Emma Turney (Communication)

Designer: Ellie Johnson (Graphic and Information Design)

Paris opens with the iconic baby voice of Paris Hilton whispering “that’s hot” in a way that brings you straight back to 2006, when Paris Hilton’s indifference, utter shallowness, and drunk table dancing made her a household name. But the genius of being famous for being famous is that Paris was never meant to be a serious introduction into the music industry, but instead a mere shrug of the shoulder, making the record captivatingly ambivalent. Hilton essentially left the music industry (until recently beginning a strange DJing career) after dropping Paris and the forever nostalgic one-hit-wonder “Stars Are Blind,” making this record a relic of the past and a distinct, brilliant image of socialite stardom. Paris is shallowness at its best, featuring songs about feeling sexy, being sexy, and making sure everyone else thinks you’re sexy. On “Fightin’ over Me” Hilton brags about the amount of suitors following her around the club. In its totality, Paris exists in the club, as you can see the table dancing and socialites in their VIP section. Although it may seem out of touch with the rest of the world, the beauty of a Paris Hilton album is that it was never meant to be taken seriously. It’s fun pop music at its very best, exuding carelessness and youthful exuberance. The drama continues on “Jealousy,” rumored to be about onand-off again best friend, Nicole Richie. After a mysterious fallout in 2005, “Jealousy” appeared on Paris and painted a picture of Richie as the best friend that couldn’t accept Hilton’s mega stardom. “Jealousy” is surprisingly more intense than the rest of Paris, featuring harder guitar while Hilton sings “nobody wins when you’re full of envy.” Much of Paris follows this theme of feeling above it all, in a way that could only happen when you’re born into one of the richest families in the country. If you can get past the pure ignorance for how the rest of the world lives, Paris emerges as an exciting album from a pop star that could’ve been, if only she cared enough to do so. Although clearly much better pop music came out of the early 2000s, Paris was unfairly criticized because of the socialite, party girl image that was all over the tabloids during the time. While releasing an album may have just been another step in Hilton’s plan to cling onto relevancy, some of the tracks still remain some of the greatest guilty pleasures. “Nothing in This World,” a somewhat more proper version of Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend,” finds Hilton lusting after another girl’s boyfriend, all while knowing deep down he will end up with Paris. The confidence and aloofness that exudes from this song makes the listener feel like maybe they too could be a hot socialite for the night. Moreover the best moments of Paris are when Hilton is unapologetically full of herself. “Turn You On” is Hilton breathlessly dancing at the club, while seducing men with just a glance (“Don’t get excited baby cause I might turn you on”). Furthermore, Hilton attempts to shake off some of the criticism she received in the press singing, “Don’t believe all that you read my ish out loud. We can dance all night but you ain’t getting none.” Although at its core “Turn You On” is just a carefree pop song, it also paints an image of

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