With one or two notable exceptions. Yes, I know: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis made a fantastic pop song called thrift shop. I've sung it at Karaoke. You should all listen to it on repeat if you haven't already.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9mmhh_wvkAAnd this says nothing about musical merits/complexity. In a lot of cases I like the pop song better in the comparison for the music/arrangement, but find the lyrics worse.
Ok, that exception/caveat asside...
Country seems to much more consistently have songs that make me think "hey, wait, I actually want to listen to this" (a reaction that is usually reserved for parody songs like Wierd Al Yankovich).
For instance, take
In the I'm a slob category(country)
Billy Currington - Pretty Good at Drinking Beer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShMNIWSsf8kI wasn't born for diggin deep holes
I'm not made for pavin long roads
I aint cut out to climb high line poles
But I'm pretty good at drinkin beer
I'm not the type to work in a bank
I'm no good at slappin on paint
Don't have a knack for makin motors crank, no
But I'm pretty good at drinkin beer
[...]
I aint much for mowin thick grass
I'm too slow for workin' too fast
I don't do windows so honey don't ask
But I'm pretty good at drinkin' beer
Let's see...is there even a pop song that covers the same kind of topics? I guess there's...
(pop)
Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDzO8gh5CgoAnd...I struggle to find lyrics that are worth quoting from this song. I mean, I guess this section is decent
Tomorrow I'll wake up, do some P90X
Find a really nice girl, have some really nice sex
And she's gonna scream out
This is great
(Oh my god, this is great)
Yeah, I might mess around
And get my college degree
I bet my old man will be so proud of me
But sorry pops, you'll just have to wait
In the Destruction of Property category(country)
Carrie Underwood - Before he Cheats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAFvlknsT4UI'm not even going to bother quoting this one, because the emotion in her voice is actually very important. As I understand it, she writes songs based on personal experience. Listening to it again with that little piece of information certainly made me react "holy fuck."
(pop)
Icona Pop - I love it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_q8L8Tksd8You know what this reminds me of? The Nihilists from The Big Lebowski. And I think there's maybe something interesting philosophically here, where 90s generations are much less materialistic in a way--give them an internet connection--who needs anything else? The thought of getting upset about a car being ruined is almost bizarre.
But...ok, maybe this isn't a fair comparison, there are pop songs that are sung from the heart, seemingly about personal experience. Let's try this again.
emotional/personal experience category(country)
Carrie Underwood--Think Before he cheats
(linked above)
Although, I feel like I should at least link another song, because it's not like Country has only one offering in this category
(bonus country song)
Reba Mcentire - Fancy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzsWaEs_dNcIn the area of pop, the pickings are a bit more thin, but this one struck me as emotionally plausible for a normal human being
(pop)
Demi Lovato - Heart Attack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdlEGQk_8TESo like...here's the weird thing about comparing the Demi Lovato song to the Carrie Underwood song. Carrie Underwood is blatantly breaking the law, and I find myself cheering her on. Demi Lovato's song is literally about wearing extra makeup so that the guy she's interested in won't notice her blush, and yet she still somehow comes across as someone you don't want to root for at all:
When I don’t care
I can play ‘em like a Ken doll
Won’t wash my hair
Then make 'em bounce like a basketball
The shake your posterior categoryLet me preface this category by saying that it IS a total fluff category, and that's kind of what you should expect from the songs.
(country)
Country girl - Luke Bryan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEUCuX5cFRAOk, on the one hand this loses some points with me for
Shake it for the young bucks sitting in the honky-tonks
For the rednecks rocking 'til the break of dawn
The DJ spinning that country song
Come on, come on, come on
Which is like total branding of "this is a song for cowboys." Then again, it's no worse to me than using the word Nigger, which is equally exclusionary, and even more awkward if I ever want to sing it as karaoke.
On the other hand...
Shake it for the catfish swimming down deep in the creek
For the crickets and the critters, and the squirrels
Shake it to the moon, shake it for me girl
We have CATFISH. And
Squirrels.
SQUIRRELS!
I'm also fairly fond of this line
Spin me around this big ole barn
Tangle me up like grandma's yarn
(pop)
Kanye West - Mercy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybK4KTzVzp4Ok, this isn't a dedicated shake song, so let's just focus on the lyrics that are.
Drop it to the floor, make that ass shake
Whoa, make the ground move, that's an ass quake
Built a house up on that ass, that's an ass state
Roll my weed on it, that's an ass tray
These lyrics make me kinda uncomfortable.
Nerd Cred category(country)
Mark Wills - 19 something
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkB2-5ic7S8So let's see...
Star Wars
Pac Man
Stretch Armstrong
Rubix Cube
Pop, whatcha got for that?
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVnSV6jvraEI want your psycho, your vertical stick
Want you in my rear window, baby, you're sick
Some easy to miss Alfred Hitchcock references, that we wouldn't want to be too obvious, oh no. Then people might realize we're a nerd.
Religious references(country)
Billy Currington - People are Crazy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv3ujzEC6jgWe talked about God's grace and all the hell we raised
Then I heard the ol' man say
God is great, beer is good and people are crazy
You know, you'd think religious references in country would be unpalatable extremist southern baptist references, but not so much. On the other hand....
(pop)
Don't you worry child - Sweedish House Mafia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shQ5Gvb4xgMI still remember how it all changed.
My father said,
"Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.
See heaven's got a plan for you.
O....kay. The wheels of heaven/fate will direct your life. Really pop?
But surely, surely country has a song of letting religion take over your life? Hmm...well I can think of one song...
(country)
Carrie Underwood - Jesus Take the Wheel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_OpRlUZQoISee, this actually strikes me as a much more reasonable point in your life to turn to religion. You haven't been taking your life in a great direction, and also the car your driving is about to crash with your baby in it. And so you say to yourself "I need help, I need all the help I can get, please give me a chance to turn my life around." For all that it is a very unapologetically religious song, you can re-wrap the story in non-religious terms and have it sound sensible. (She had a near-death experience and promised to turn her life around).
Whereas Sweedish House Mafia, hell if I know what's going on in that song.
Let's get some action category(pop)
Get Lucky - Daft Punk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psP5xGSl-XcShiny shiny daft punk song. Of course, as you might expect, there's not much to it lyrically, but I am excited that it's getting radio play. Here let me sumarize the entire song.
She's up all night 'til the sun
I'm up all night to get some
(country)
Rain is a Good Thing - Luke Bryan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vogS-Fp2QVIRain makes corn, corn makes whiskey
Whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky
So...let me summarize this. Getting laid plan:
Pop:
1. stay up late
2. ?
??
3. Get Lucky
Country:
1. Wait for rains
2. Use rain to Grow Corn
3. Turn corn into Whiskey
4. ?
??
5. Get Lucky
I am much more entertained by Country's method.