View in EDS

Measuring sounds from the East: digital approaches to commonality and specificity in Chinese Mandarin pop lyrics.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Measuring sounds from the East: digital approaches to commonality and specificity in Chinese Mandarin pop lyrics.
Authors: Dai, Zheyuan1 (AUTHOR), Liu, Haitao2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Digital Scholarship in the Humanities. Apr2026, Vol. 41 Issue 1, p77-91. 15p.
Subjects: Stylometry, Sentiment analysis, Data analysis, Thematic analysis, Chinese music, Sociocultural factors
Geographic Terms: China
Abstract: Since China's reform and opening-up in 1978, its popular music industry has experienced rapid development and emerged as a significant component of global contemporary pop music. This study conducts a systematic analysis of contemporary Chinese Mandarin pop lyrics (1978–2019) with digital methodologies. A stylometric measurement, the Busemann coefficient, was employed to demonstrate the lyrics' high textual activity from both static and dynamic perspectives. This finding supports the lyrics' stylistic essence as narratives. Besides, sentiment analysis of lyrics reveals an overall positive tone, though a significant watershed occurred around the year 2000, marking a divergence between the two periods. Furthermore, analyses with topic modeling demonstrate diversified topic distribution patterns across these periods, reflecting both the universality of popular culture and the distinctive Chinese characteristics shaped by cultural and temporal contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Digital Scholarship in the Humanities is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:Since China's reform and opening-up in 1978, its popular music industry has experienced rapid development and emerged as a significant component of global contemporary pop music. This study conducts a systematic analysis of contemporary Chinese Mandarin pop lyrics (1978–2019) with digital methodologies. A stylometric measurement, the Busemann coefficient, was employed to demonstrate the lyrics' high textual activity from both static and dynamic perspectives. This finding supports the lyrics' stylistic essence as narratives. Besides, sentiment analysis of lyrics reveals an overall positive tone, though a significant watershed occurred around the year 2000, marking a divergence between the two periods. Furthermore, analyses with topic modeling demonstrate diversified topic distribution patterns across these periods, reflecting both the universality of popular culture and the distinctive Chinese characteristics shaped by cultural and temporal contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:2055768X
DOI:10.1093/llc/fqaf155