THE SEMIOTICS OF GEN Z EMOTION: A BARTHESIAN ANALYSIS OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN SZA’S KILL BILL AND NOBODY GETS ME LYRICS
Kata Kunci:
Semiotics; Roland Barthes; Figurative language; Generation ZAbstrak
This research explores the complex emotional landscape of Generation Z in the United States through a semiotic analysis of SZA's songs’ lyrics. The chosen songs in this study are Kill Bill and Nobody Gets Me. Using Roland Barthes' semiotic framework, this study meticulously unpacks denotative and connotative meanings, as well as the use of figurative language to explain how these lyrics depict the complex emotional experiences of Generation Z in the digital age. The analysis reveals that Kill Bill employs metaphors, hyperbole, and paradoxes to depict ambiguous jealousy, obsession, and longing, reflecting Generation Z's tendency to express emotions dramatically, amplified through social media. Meanwhile, Nobody Gets Me utilizes metaphors, paradoxes, and symbolism to convey deep vulnerability, regret, and emotional isolation, resonating with Generation Z's struggles in facing powerlessness amid hyperconnectivity. Through Barthes' lens, SZA's lyrics emerge as powerful cultural artifacts, blending everyday language with evocative figurative expressions to capture the spirit of Generation Z's emotionally complex era—marked by vulnerability, nostalgia, and the tension between rebellion and self-reflection. This research not only enriches literary analysis by applying semiotics to music lyrics but also offers a deep understanding of how popular culture articulates the emotional pulse of a generation shaped by digital and social dynamic
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