Opinion: comparing "Hey Ya!" to "Dark Thoughts

“Hey Ya!” was and still is a song that transcends time and boundaries. It is not confined to a specific genre of music. Everyone should know the song regardless of background as countless people have played it on every radio station imaginable.

The music alone feels like a song to dance to, but the lyrics have a much deeper meaning. This also contributes to why the song was and is so popular. However, it might have a contender for the title of “Best Music but most Devastating Lyrics.”

That song is “Dark Thoughts” by Lil Tecca. Like with “Hey Ya!”, the music is incredible, but if the lyrics are paid attention to, it seems like the song's writer was going through some things.

While “Dark Thoughts”’s music is something to vibe to with your friends, “Hey Ya!”’s music is something to dance to in a club. It is the type of song where the lyrics invoke a difficult feeling, but the music’s mesmerizing feel takes over most of the time.

However, when paying attention to the lyrics, one can see the mindset of Andre 3000 of Outkast, the song's writer. Throughout the song, he gives his thoughts on romantic relationships in the 21st century.

“Thank God for mom and dad for stickin’ two together ‘cause we don’t know how,” Andre 3000 says 26 seconds into the song.

He is grateful to his parents for staying together while the people in relationships today don’t know how to do so.

“If what they say is nothing is forever… then what makes love the exception,” Andre 3000 says at the 1:24 mark of the song. He asks why, if “Nothing is forever,” why is love forever?

“Y’all don’t wanna hear me, you just wanna dance,” Andre 3000 says midway through the song. Andre 3000 says he understands the nature of the song, which is that the music is so catchy that the lyrics are barely noticed.

Throughout the rest of the song, Andre 3000 dives deep into 21st-century relationship mode, giving in to the masses and their views on how relationships should work.

“Dark Thoughts” is similar to “Hey Ya!” in that both songs explore relationships, but Lil Tecca focuses more on their state in the 2020s.

“You spend your cash on a b---- you never had, yeah… so I ain’t gon’ slide if that sh-- ain’t ‘bout a bag,” Lil Tecca says 23 seconds in. His lyrics show that the girl he likes has money spent on her from people she does not want to be in a relationship with, while Lil Tecca is focused on making money.

“She got dark thoughts, let me hear some. Yeah, baby, I’ll be messed up for you,” Lil Tecca says at the 45-second mark. He explains to the listener how the girl he likes has bad thoughts and that he will explore them to help her feel listened to and understood.

“I get dark thoughts too, but I keep ‘em. Shawty got a friend group of hoes, so I treesh ‘em… all this sh--, I keep it on the low, but I peep ‘em,” Lil Tecca says 58 seconds in. He describes that while he does have dark thoughts as well, he wants to keep them to himself as he is afraid of what others might think and react.

Both songs show the artists’ understanding of relationships around them. Andre 3000 is focused on the perception of love in the 21st century, while Lil Tecca is focused on everyday actions taken by people in relationships this decade.

These songs display lyrical geniuses distracting their listeners from their beliefs with entrancing music. While “Hey Ya!” is one of the best songs in the “Best Music but Most Devastating Lyrics” genre, “Dark Thoughts” is great company. - Jack Harrison

Jack Harrison is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jkh6603@psu.edu.