An Exploration of Hatred in Pop Music

‘Love’ may be the major theme of the majority of pop songs, but ‘hate’, including its subcategories malevolence, vengeance, self-loathing, and contempt, run it close. Looking at artists across the history of popular music, and songs ranging from ‘Runaround Sue’ to ‘W.A.P’, this book explores the concept of hatred in lyrics, album art, music video, and the music industry itself, asking important questions about misogyny, politics, psychology, and family along the way.