What is it about?
An analysis of the changing linguistic features of Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, with particular focus on his shift over time from his local Sheffield accent towards a more Americanised form.
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Why is it important?
Sheds light on the relationship between language and identity, the notion of 'performed language', and the pressures on artists of particular genres of popular music to use language in different ways.
Perspectives
Turner's switch toward a more traditional pop style with his gradual embracing of American features over time is a fantastic example of how quantitative lingustic analysis can be employed to evaluate the artistic evolution and ideological shifts of a singer-songwriter.
Paul Flanagan
University of Chester
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: ‘A Certain Romance’: Style shifting in the language of Alex Turner in Arctic Monkeys songs 2006–2018, Language and Literature International Journal of Stylistics, February 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0963947019827075.
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