What is it about?
In this chapter, we look at the lyrics of the most popular Polish hip-hop songs released during the COVID-19 pandemic. We search for references to democratic values—first, to see if this topic is important at all, and second, to find out what matters to Polish youth, who are the main audience for this music. It was also crucial for us to examine how music can be utilized as a tool to reinforce populist narratives.
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Why is it important?
We believe this is an important topic because hip-hop is the most popular music genre in Poland, which means these songs accompany young Poles in their everyday lives. At the same time, music has always been both a mirror of the opinions and perspectives present in society and a way for artists to influence their fans. This makes the lyrics of the most popular songs meaningful not only for listeners but also for society as a whole.
Perspectives
Although research on the links between popular culture and politics is generally well developed, in Poland, there is still a dismissive attitude suggesting that studying this topic is trivial or even “inappropriate” for political scientists. My personal goal is to change this view, especially now, in an era when the manipulation of information and narratives has become increasingly widespread.
Julia Trzcińska
University of Wrocław
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Democratic Values and Populist Themes in Polish Hip-Hop Music of the Pandemic Era, August 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004732940_018.
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