pop ozymandias syndrome

is this officially a thing?

Axwell ^ Ingrosso - Something New
"We are the ones who will be remembered"

The Script - Hall Of Fame
"Everyone's gonna know your name"

Fall Out Boy - Centuries
"I can't stop til the whole world knows my name"

... there are more that I can't currently remember. what's going on here?

FOB's "Immortals" has this too

and you could probably extend it to all the songs about us being stars

Ellie Goulding - Burn

They, they gonna see us from outer space, outer space
Light it up, like we're the stars of the human race, human race

I mean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dtz6BVysjQ

sure, but i never felt like that song was the ranting of a serial killer whereas these....

It was part of Bowie's schtick for a while, was it not?

we need a pro songwriter to weigh in here because this has to be a thing, like at certain moments every songwriter knows they have to come up with an uptempo ballad for a female if they want a chance at the big money; the past year or two it's been, partly, seemingly, "songs about grasping for some lasting impression on the universe"

David Guetta - Lovers On The Sun

"Show the world a burning light, that never shined so bright"

Rihanna - Towards The Sun

"We can reign, like the kings and queens of better yesterdays"

my all-time favourite which anticipates all these is this, obv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG0AvwM_QAI

but I mean...

We can reign, like the kings and queens of better yesterdays

you and I are gonna live foreeevahhhhh

yeah, actually i think there's a continuity there, an un-self-reflective ("i don't really want to know"), nihilistic naivety intersecting with massively bombastic narcissism that almost perfectly anticipates these songs

The time will come, when you'll have to rise
Above the best, improve yourself
Your spirit never dies
Farewell, I've gone, to take my throne
Above, don't weep for me
Cause this will be the labor of my love

Here we are, don't turn away now,
We are the warriors that built this town
Here we are, don't turn away now,
We are the warriors that built this town
From Dust.

this is definitely a thing - and i noted it first when i was working in the same place as you, tracer.

Great thread idea. This is all a bit..

https://youtube.com/watch?v=29Mg6Gfh9Co

s,,

Yes. Guard your manic pixie/gnat.

http://flashlight.nateparrott.com🔗/

http://www.grubstreet.com/2015/03/boston-chef-counters-yelp-threats-with-instagram-shaming.html🔗

Flying Lotus did a Pimp A Butterfly special:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nvkcx🔗

?

look upon my works, ye mighty
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Music/Pix/pictures/2008/11/25/jacko460.jpg

all I know
if I die
I'm a motherfuckin' legend

but while you're alive you're just a schmuck

Alesso feat. Tove Lo - Heroes (We Could Be)

Everyday people do everyday things but I
Can't be one of them
I know you hear me now, we are a different kind
We can do anything

from Wikipedia:

"The lyrics of each of the stanzas differ entirely from Bowie's. The subject of the song has been updated from that of irony-touched love in the shadow of the Berlin Wall in Bowie's version to the present-day street-life interactions of a couple. The title of the song also drops the extra quotation marks that are present in the title of Bowie's song. In that song, the extra quotes in the title were an affectation meant to invoke an ironic mood."

i mean...

off-topic (opposite of topic?) but other other bowie adjusted lyrics -- "the man who sold the world" (k cobain) -- "i gazed a gazely stare at multimillionaires i must have died alone"

Panic! At The Disco - Emperor's New Clothes

I am so much more than royal
Snatch your chain and mace your eyes
If it feels good, tastes good
It must be mine
Heroes always get remembered
But you know legends never die

X Ambassadors - Renegades

So, all hail the underdogs
All hail the new kids
All hail the outlaws
Spielbergs and Kubricks

It's our time to make a move
It's our time to make amends
It's our time to break the rules
Let's begin...

feel like "Pompeii" was also working something close to this grain - more in affect and associations (doomed legendary city, walls crashing down - EPIC SHIT) than the actual plot which is more of a breakup-at-the-end-of-the-world kinda thing.

ozymandias, meet mans zelmerlow

What if I’m the only hero left
You better fire off your gun
Once and forever

He said go dry your eyes
And live your life like there is no tomorrow son
And tell the others
To go sing it like a hummingbird
The greatest anthem ever heard

We are the heroes of our time
But we’re dancing with the demons in our minds

We are the heroes of our time
Heroes

But were dancing with the demons in our minds
Heroes

We are the heroes of our time
Heroes

feel like ground zero for the current manifestation of this (which is maybe lessening somewhat now?) was diamonds by rihanna. even tho it's a personal description of how ecstasy makes the user feel (which is maybe the subtext to a lot of these actually??) it ties that feeling of intense, positive intimacy to a vast, universe-large invincibility. fuck it man i don't need a coat! but mate it's freezing! I'M LIKE DIAMONDS IN THE SKY

and she's back:

But everyday, hey, wasn't lemonade
I was afraid, once a nigga graduate
Would I be okay?
So I prayed and I prayed
It's Rihanna, nigga
My constellation in space
Warp speed, Doctor Spock couldn't chase, nigga

I don't know what you've been told
But this girl right here's gonna rule the world

-"Sit Still, Look Pretty" by Daya, who hasn't had a Hot 100 hit since 2016's "Sit Still, Look Pretty"

How can she record another hit, she's busy ruling the world?!?

^extremely valid point