It may seem silly, but music can tell you SO much about a culture. I spend last spring in Chile, South America and one of the most interesting conversations I had with my host mom had to do with music. We were sitting at the dinner table and she had the radio on softly in the background. It was set to a pop station. What was playing? "You Are the Only Exception" by Paramore. Yeah, the song was popular. But in Chile? Really? Where was all the Hispanic music? All the American pop music was dominating their radio waves and controlling their TV programs.
"Do you understand anything they're saying in the song?" I asked.
"Not a word," she responded. "It's just fun!"
Then I got it. Americans lack exposure. The rest of the world is consuming our entertainment because we're the ones who put so much into it. And don't say it's because our entertainment is better. Most of it is terrible. So, in an effort to expose myself to more cultures, I have gotten into the habit of perusing the Internets for top songs in other cultures. And I've found some really good ones! Did you know that "Glad You Came" by The Wanted was popular in Ireland long before it came to the states? Or that "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye was number one in New Zealand before we heard it on the radio here?
Below are some current number ones that you should definitely check out. You never know when you may find a gem!
"Somebody That I Used to Know" - Gotye (#1 US, and on at LEAST 5 other charts)
"She Doesn't Mind" - Sean Paul (#1 UK)
"Euphoria" - Loreen (#1 Sweeden)
"Ai se eu te pego" - Michel Teló (#1 Germany, #1 France, #2 Spain, and many others)
"La notte" - Arisa (#1 Italy)
"Call Me Maybe" - Carly Rae Jepsen (#1 Ireland)
"Yo te esperaré" - Cali y el Dande (#1 Spain)
Enjoy! Try something new! Don't worry about whether or not you will understand the words. That's not the point! There is so much more in this world than American music and English words.
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