The Furious Women and Victim Men of Turkish Pop Music: A Lyrical Exploration of Turkish Pop Hits of the 2000s

Abstract

This study examines the lyrics of pop music as a political and cultural instrument specifically analyzing 55 popular songs in Turkey from 2000 to 2010. This period marked the beginning of significant political and cultural changes in the country coinciding with the rise to power of the AKP (Justice and Development Party) a party known for its conservative religious stance. By focusing on this transformative era this study examines how pop music has reflected articulated negotiated and influenced the evolving political and cultural landscape in gender-specific ways. The analysis concentrated on several key dimensions: the identity of the speaker within the lyrics their self-representation the intended counterpart and the characterization of the counterpart. Additionally the thematic content—what is being communicated—and the linguistic strategies—how it is being communicated—were scrutinized to uncover underlying discursive patterns and power dynamics embedded within the lyrics. © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.