| dc.description.abstract | Sexual signification traits are combined and presented distinctively in particular
genres and contexts (Björck, 2011). To this day, the masculinity culture in R&B
portrays a concept against femininity of highly sexualized manhood (Dhaenens &
Ridder, 2014). The study analyzes how R&B music portrays masculinity dynamics
in four different decades using the semiotics approach by Roland Barthes and a
critical paradigm in understanding the complexity of the ‘real world’ environment.
With purposive sampling, the selected samples are Get A Job by The Silhouettes
(1958), I Wanna Know by Joe (2000), OMG by Usher featuring Will.I.Am (2010),
and Blinding Lights by The Weeknd (2020). The sample selected is R&B or Doo
Woop genre, sung by black male artists, ranked in the top 10 Billboard Hot 100
Singles Year-End, and released within the selected decades. The study shows
a fluctuation in the masculinity portrayal in 1958, 2000, 2010, and 2020. The
hegemonic structure can become less hierarchical and allows other forms of
masculinity to be adapted by men. Although some non-hegemonic embodiment was
tolerable at the end of the 20th century, public consumption in popular music in the
21st century remained grounded on hegemonic masculinity, disregarding race. | en_US |
