I only heard it on the radio one time, but I was instantly fascinated by the song “#Selfie” by the Chainsmokers. I looked it up on Youtube and as of this writing, it has had over 150 million views.
That’s right. Over 150 million.My brain went Vegeta on that one.
If you haven’t watched the video, here it is for your . . . um . . . enjoyment? Analysis? Contempt?
As far as music goes, it’s barely a song. The whole thing is programmed on some guy’s computer and the “lyrics” are nothing more than a one-sided bathroom conversation from a shallow woman. But maybe it’s far more complex than we would like to think. Let’s look to the lyrics and pick them apart in order to understand the plight of the current generation.
It begins with our protagonist feeling self-conscious about a potential romantic love interest named “Jason” who is with another woman.
When Jason was at the table
I kept on seeing him look at me while he was with that other girl
Do you think he was just doing that to make me jealous?
Because he was totally texting me all night last night
And I don’t know if it’s a booty call or not
So… like what do you think?
Did you think that girl was pretty?
How did that girl even get in here?
Do you see her?
She’s so short and that dress is so tacky
Who wears Cheetah?
In this modern world where our avenues for communication are so multi-faceted, our protagonist can’t even tell if Jason loves her or not. People are almost NEVER unavailable communicate unless they force themselves into isolation, but how much do we really know about anyone? Even our protagonist doesn’t know if Jason likes her because the different avenues for communication have lead to more miscommunication than actual connection.
In the second verse, we have a new turn in the identity of the modern person.
Can you guys help me pick a filter?
I don’t know if I should go with XX Pro or Valencia
I wanna look tan
What should my caption be?
I want it to be clever
How about “Livin’ with my bitches, hash tag LIVE”
I only got 10 likes in the last 5 minutes
Do you think I should take it down?
Let me take another selfie
This is about image and how important it is to represent oneself. It shows the subtle nuances that plague modern life and the presentation of that image. On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. one is now no longer an individual, but rather a brand. A corporation unto themselves responsible for content that earns “likes” which are the social media equivalent to dollars only you can’t buy anything with likes at all. So, in a way, they are nothing like money, but what is money anyway? It’s just paper that we’ve assigned a value to. Why is that?
Finally, in the last verse, the messages established in the first and second verses merges into a cacophony of brilliance.
Wait, pause, Jason just liked my selfie
What a creep
Is that guy sleeping over there?
Yeah, the one next to the girl with no shoes on
That’s so ratchet
That girl is such a fake model
She definitely bought all her Instagram followers
Who goes out on Mondays?
OK, let’s go take some shots
Oh no, ugh I feel like I’m gonna throw up
Oh wait, nevermind I’m fine
Let’s go dance
There’s no vodka at this table
Do you know anyone else here?
Oh my God, Jason just texted me
Should I go home with him?
I guess I took a good selfie
Jason has now liked our protagonist’s selfie which she interprets as being creepy at first, but when he texts her, she wonders if she should go home with him. The social cues and mores are all jumbled in this world of mass communication. The modern person’s brain runs circles pondering what each like or comment must mean. Is Jason a creep or is he authentic in his love? Our protagonist doesn’t know and must resort to alcohol, vomiting, and dancing to clear her mind.
In the end, she attributes Jason’s affection for her not to her brilliant wit, her kind heart, or her winning personality, but to her selfie. Image is everything, substance is nothing. Or rather, substance comes from image and nothing more.
One thing is for sure, like Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” before it, the Chainsmoker’s “#selfie” is hard-hitting social commentary about the times in which it is written in.
Like Bob Dylan’s “The times they are a-changin,” it reflects upon what it means to be an individual in modern society.
And while the music is programmed on a computer, is it any less a musical achievement than Vivaldi’s Four Seasons? Sure, Vivaldi has 40 million views, but that’s not 150 million! Maybe if Vivaldi put some words in there, people would care.
