Have you ever not liked a celebrity? Maybe because they’re not relatable or maybe because they didn't have “real” problems. Singers and songwriters including, JP Sax, Julia Michaels, Ashe, and even more have gone through many issues and expressed them through music in their songs like Moral of the Story, If the World was Ending, and many others . When singers and songwriters create their pieces, it is to express meaningful and relatable messages from situations they have gone through and maybe others have as well. This allows them to reach a primary genre to bring listeners because they know they can relate to situations in songs. Messages in songs, from the 2010s, can be relatable because it lets listeners know that other people have gone through similar situations as them.

Ashes' song, “Moral of the Story” from 2019 has several implied metaphors to express relatable messages less prominently. A line from the piece that uses an implied metaphor is when Ashe states “ [they] can think that [they’re] in love / when [they’re] really just in pain” because the person they “love” is truly hurting them (Ashe 14-15). When using “[they’re] in love”, and “when [they’re] really just in pain” it brings a powerful message. It teaches people to reflect on the situations that they could be in. Doing this can help people to learn from past life experiences and improve on themselves. These statements support the main message in the piece which is to learn from different situations, not just in love, but in everyday life. Another implied metaphor in the piece that expresses a relatable message is “Some mistakes get mad / that’s alright that’s okay” (Ashe 12-13). These lines go along with the original message that this song expresses relatable messages. The different parts of the phrases implied that the singer Ashe is learning from her mistakes. It shows that she has reflected on her past experiences and has used them to better herself. It also implies that others should do that as well.

Another song, "If the World Was Ending” by JP Sax and Julia Micheals, also has multiple kinds of figurative language. When the singer directly states “And there wouldn’t be a reason why / You would even have to say goodbye”, is an example of an understatement (Sax 17-18). The tenor in the line, “wouldn’t be a reason why”, paired with the vehicle, “ you wouldn’t have to say goodbye”, brings the main message of the song. That is the use of an understatement. When using an understatement, it is a description of something that has less quality than it actually does. With the understatement of the message, To question or lack of resolution, is shown. Later in the song, the Sax sings “If the world was ending you’d come over right?”(Sax 57), which is an implied metaphor (Sax 57). Through the use of the lines “If the world was ending”, and ¨you’d come over?” express the implied metaphor. The use of it is to express the lever of what they would do for eachother. 

Like the other 2 songs, “Fingers Crossed” by Lauren Spencer-Smith, also uses figurative language to express deeper messages in the song. An example of the use of figurative language, specifically an implied metaphor, is when the writer states, “I gave you my hours and advice just tryna fix you / And all your daddy issues / Now I don’t even miss you anymore’’( Smith 11-13). This song is all about regret, and when using the lines “I gave you my hours” and "Now I don’t even miss you anymore”, sets the message of the song. It implies that she regrets all the time that she spent with her partner and has now moved on. This is repeated multiple times in the song because it is the most important part of the song that lots of people can relate to.  Going along with the subject of regret the line, “I want all the tears back that I cried,”(Smith 15) is an implied metaphor as well. The tenor, “I want all the tears” and the vehicle” that I cried” displays her feeling of regret. Since you physically can't get back tears that you cried it implies that she regrets the time that she spent with him.  

The last piece “What Would You Do?” by Tate McRae has figurative language just like the rest of the songs. This song is about regret and the events leading up to that and when the singer recites an implied metaphor when singing “I’m getting really sick, sick of how sorry sounds”(Harnage 6). Typically you get actually sick from a word. When using the tenor , “getting really sick”, and the vehicle, “of how sorry sounds”' implies that she used to be messed up alot and she really had an issue with it. So realistically she was over him messing up time and time again which a lot of people have gone through. This piece has another use of figurative language. The line “I’ll go out and kiss your friends / Like oh my god get over it” (Harnage 41-42) is an understatement. Like stated before the understatement is to express a lesser quality than something actually means. The parts of these lines express an understatement about revenge. She wanted to do exactly what her ex did to her and have him react how he wanted her to. This can be relatable considering many others have gone through wanting to get back at people who wronged them.

Listeners can relate to messages and songs knowing that others have gone through similar situations. In songs, writers can use implied metaphors that show deeper messages to listeners. They can describe something to try to give a phrase the idea of having much less of a particular quality than it does through the use of an understatement. The use of figurative language in songs allows for deeper meaning for the audience to relate to. Some of the phrases can’t literally happen but the story behind them can. Each lyric has a message. Everyone has something they can relate to. Using figurative language in songs allows singers and songwriters to create music relatable to listeners.