Abstract
Hopelandic, or “Vonlenska,” is a vocal style of singing developed by Sigur Rós, demonstrating the expressive qualities of language and the affective content of vocalization through meaningless sounds and syllables. This paper addresses the question: why does the audience of Sigur Rós have no trouble with the meaninglessness of words? Maximal grip, derived from Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology and further interpreted by Hubert Dreyfus, offers a potential perspective. Specifically, maximal grip involves the body’s intuitive adjustments to its environment, seeking optimal engagement without conscious deliberation. Furthermore, this study explores the perception of contextualized language within a musical auditory setting. A central question it addresses is whether a song’s core meaning is conveyed primarily through its linguistic content—the words—or its musical elements. Additionally, the study examines the distinction between perceived and felt emotions in music. The prevalence of non-native lyrics in contemporary music consumption is another factor explored in this study. This phenomenon raises questions about the semantic role of linguistic forms in a song’s overall meaning. Finally, another critical dimension of lyrical content is accessibility. Even when a song’s lyrics are presented in a listener’s native language, the semantic content is not always easily understood. This observation raises the issue of “difficult lyrics”—words or phrases that may be obscure, metaphorical, or intentionally ambiguous. Consequently, such complexity can create a gap between linguistic recognition and comprehension, prompting the listener to experience the song as a unified gestalt rather than focusing on its individual elements.
Presenters
Hamid AsiayeeLecturer, Languages, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, Niedersachsen, Germany
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Maximal Grip, Language Perception, Perceived Emotions, Felt Emotions, Gestalt Perception
