FACE Research Seminar

Exploring Music and Heritage 

The latest FACE Research Seminar featured engaging presentations from Sahan Perera and Gareth Carr, with Gareth also chairing the session. The discussions spanned from the evolving emotional tone of music lyrics to the historical significance of Welsh house building in Liverpool, offering a fascinating blend of contemporary digital analysis and architectural heritage. 

Lyrical Sentiment: A Mirror of Cultural Trends 

Sahan Perera’s research delves into the lyrical sentiment of Billboard hits over the last three decades, analysing how song lyrics reflect broader cultural and emotional shifts. Traditionally, research in this field has focused on music recommendation systems, audience preferences, and hit song prediction. However, due to the complexity of these areas, Sahan’s study pivoted towards lyrical sentiment and explicit content trends. 

Using Spotify tools, the study employed sentiment analysis (classifying lyrics as positive or negative), profanity detection, and audio feature extraction to visualise and interpret changes in lyrical content over time. The findings revealed: 

• A rise in negativity in song lyrics, alongside an increase in fact-based, neutral storytelling. 

• A strong correlation between explicit content and the dominance of streaming platforms. 

• Songs with higher energy levels tended to have more negative sentiment. 

• Declining subjectivity in lyrics, suggesting a shift towards more neutral or factual narratives. 

These insights highlight how modern music increasingly reflects darker, more factual themes, possibly mirroring broader social and cultural dynamics, as well as reflecting the change of platform for how we access music.  

Welsh House Building in Liverpool: The Future of Its Past 

Gareth Carr transported the audience into the historical and architectural legacy of Welsh house building in Liverpool, focusing on how its past continues to shape the city's urban fabric. 

One key case study was the Welsh Streets, an example of sustainable and ‘preferable’ futures in urban planning. In the Victorian era, entrepreneur Roberts purchased 200 acres in Liverpool and commissioned architect Richard Owens to construct 4,000 homes. These houses, known for their healthy living conditions, were among the first of their kind globally and significantly improved the living standards of the working class. 

However, war and urban decline led to the deterioration of these properties, paving the way for high-rise blocks in Liverpool. Despite their transformation, these streets remain a major contributor to the ‘Welshness’ of Liverpool. Debates around their preservation led to a public inquiry in 2013, in which Gareth played a role. Notably, the area has gained cultural significance as a filming location for Peaky Blinders. 

The FACE Research Seminars provide a platform for innovative and thought-provoking discussions, encouraging dialogue across disciplines and shedding light on the ways in which research can inform the present and the future.