A Theory About Muse's Pop Songs

[TheLionSlicer]

So this has been discussed a bit before but never this in depth I don't think.

There were some people calling Dead Inside the sequel to Madness (mostly because of Kate Hudson) a while back which got me thinking a little bit.

What if Muse's more recent pop songs all tell a story.

With Supermassive Black Hole, our protagonist discovers someone who's kind of mysterious and a little crazy but he/she likes him/her. The love interest has some problems though "How long before you tell the truth" They begin dating.

With Undisclosed Desires, it's the protagonist trying to fix the other person. "I want to exorcise the demons from your past" The protagonist thinks he can make the other person better.

With Madness, a little time has passed and they've settled in their relationship and they've fought a little. The protagonist almost leaves but finally realizes "I need your love!"

When we get to Dead Inside the protagonist realizes that he/she can't be in this destructive relationship anymore and that it's slowly draining him/her but it's too late. "Now I'm DEAD INSIDE!"

 

Maybe the story continues after LP 8? I don't know. I also want to try to extend the story back to the three albums before with Unintended, Plug In Baby, and Time Is Running Out but I haven't thought enough about it.

 

Anyway do you like my theory? Is it plausible? Also, sorry if I posted this in the wrong place.

[serpentsatellite]

Madness and Dead Inside aren't likely meant to be "sequels" of one another, but they obviously deal with the same relationship, so there is that.

I mean, Matt says he fabricated the "relationship" story on Drones, but that's also likely horseshit so he's not publicly admitting to bad things about his son's mother.

 

The rest of them would be a stretch, as they span multiple partners.

 

iirc, he said SMBH was a comparison between women and black holes in that the world revolves around them, but they could also suck you in and destroy you.

Which made me like the song even less.

[TheLionSlicer]

Madness and Dead Inside aren't likely meant to be "sequels" of one another, but they obviously deal with the same relationship, so there is that.

I mean, Matt says he fabricated the "relationship" story on Drones, but that's also likely horseshit so he's not publicly admitting to bad things about his son's mother.

 

The rest of them would be a stretch, as they span multiple partners.

 

iirc, he said SMBH was a comparison between women and black holes in that the world revolves around them, but they could also suck you in and destroy you.

Which made me like the song even less.

 

Well it popped in my mind today at work and I thought I'd at least try

 

I also don't mean to say that this was intended by the band but that it's an idea that's kinda cool to think about

[serpentsatellite]

I think it's interesting to hear how people tie things together. Someone also recently had a really fab interpretation of OoS that had never occurred to me.

 

Who knows what's going on in Matt's head when he writes things, anyways? He says stuff like he thinks of his songs often in a fictional world or context, and that the thought process behind Drones went all the way back to his childhood.

[LewisF]

There is no theory to Muse's pop songs imo. There's no need to analyse it too much, if at all. I say; just enjoy it

[serpentsatellite]

What if people enjoy it through analyzing it?

[LewisF]

What if people enjoy it through analyzing it?

 

Fair point. Just that I wish to enjoy it another way

[TheLionSlicer]

There is no theory to Muse's pop songs imo. There's no need to analyse it too much, if at all. I say; just enjoy it

 

I have a tendency to overthink everything but I think it's fun so whatever

[Reapers]

There is no theory to Muse's pop songs imo. There's no need to analyse it too much, if at all. I say; just enjoy it

 

Same here. Over thinking the lyrics kind of ruins the song for me

[Gemsy]

Me and my mate once made up an entire story like this, based on the songs of Absolution It was the coolest. If only I could remember the deets!

[Aeterna]

Then how the hell does Panic Station fit in?

[MartianSpaghettiRider]

Then how the hell does Panic Station fit in?

 

Panic Station is rather of a funky-70's disco-rock song than a proper pop song.

[Aeterna]

I don't really think Dead Inside is very pop. I'd say their most 'pop' songs would be Undisclosed Desires, Madness, Mercy and Revolt.

[Johi36]

And Big Freeze?

[MartianSpaghettiRider]

I don't really think Dead Inside is very pop. I'd say their most 'pop' songs would be Undisclosed Desires, Madness, Mercy and Revolt.

 

Dead Inside reminds me of that nuanced and shaded "pop" feel pervading tracks like Endlessly, Sing For Absolution or Falling Away With You.

[hairolfitri]

How exactly do you define a pop song? Because apparently a large number of you agree on what can be labelled a pop song by Muse, while I on the other hand, label Starlight, FAWY, Mercy, Endlessly, Undisclosed Desires and Big Freeze as some of Muse's pop songs. And I never considered Dead Inside a pop song.

 

EDIT: Pop stands for popular right? If so, then by technical definition, I'd label the likes of Supermassive Black Hole, Time is Running Out, Plug In Baby, Neutron Star Collision, Uprising, Survival, Madness, Starlight and maybe Dead Inside as pop songs, because they are the more of the commercial hits by Muse.

Edited July 10, 2015 by hairolfitri

[serpentsatellite]

While it stands for "popular" it's still a music genre rather than just music that's popular at the time.

And DI feels way more pop than rock to me.

Of course, they've been putting out "poppy" rock songs since... ever, really.

[hairolfitri]

While it stands for "popular" it's still a music genre rather than just music that's popular at the time.

And DI feels way more pop than rock to me.

Of course, they've been putting out "poppy" rock songs since... ever, really.

 

And how do you define that music genre? (Personally, I would say pop songs encompass some of the "softer" and not-quite-blaring-loud songs by Muse, i.e. the songs I've listed in a previous post.)

[serpentsatellite]

Wikipedia says this: "As a genre, pop music is extremely eclectic, often borrowing elements from other styles including urban, dance, rock, Latin and country; nonetheless, there are core elements which define pop. Such elements include generally short to medium-length songs, written in a basic format (often the verse-chorus structure), as well as the common employment of repeated choruses, melodic tunes, and hooks."

[hairolfitri]

Wikipedia says this: "As a genre, pop music is extremely eclectic, often borrowing elements from other styles including urban, dance, rock, Latin and country; nonetheless, there are core elements which define pop. Such elements include generally short to medium-length songs, written in a basic format (often the verse-chorus structure), as well as the common employment of repeated choruses, melodic tunes, and hooks."

 

[Reapers]

A lot of genres have sub-genres though. That would be where Muse fit in I guess?

[MartianSpaghettiRider]

A lot of genres have sub-genres though. That would be where Muse fit in I guess?

 

I would playfully label a lot of their artistical production as Progressive Pop-Rock.

I think it suits them even more than a generic Alternative Rock.

[TheLionSlicer]

Perhaps I should've titled the thread A Theory About Some Of Muse's Pop Songs

[Aeterna]

I would playfully label a lot of their artistical production as Progressive Pop-Rock.

I think it suits them even more than a generic Alternative Rock.

 

I don't think alternative rock is a generic genre. Whenever I hear any alternative rock band, I love it. More than bands of other genres. There's something so delight about the genre's music. It's hard to define the genre, but I can see what the genre is. It's easily my favourite.

[Jobby]

I would playfully label a lot of their artistical production as Progressive Pop-Rock.

I think it suits them even more than a generic Alternative Rock.

 

Taking into account their entire discography, I'd probably say Muse generally fit into Alt. Rock. I just categorise them by song at this point though, as opposed to trying to categorise the entire band.

 

I don't think alternative rock is a generic genre. Whenever I hear any alternative rock band, I love it. More than bands of other genres. There's something so delight about the genre's music. It's hard to define the genre, but I can see what the genre is. It's easily my favourite.

 

Just because you like it doesn't mean it isn't generic though. Alternative Rock is definitely a very generic term/genre, the fact that it's 'hard to define' and pin down kinda proves that 'cause it's a pretty broad, non-specific, umbrella term.