5 Reasons Vance Joy's "Riptide" is the perfect Constructivist Anthem

1. It’s music video is literal (Like, who does that?)

Most music videos try to do something at least a little bit, kind of, sorta related to the song. They tell a story, animate characters, or in some other way, bring life to the lyrics they are singing about. Riptide’s video, however, turns this approach on its head and throws caution to the wolves! It is a literal music video with a different clip being shown as a literal embodiment of the lyrics and is literally the best video ever. Not listening to convention is not only super badass, but its constructivist as all hell.

2.Nothing means what you think it means

If you think the song is ACTUALLY about a lady running by the water and someone showing someone else a movie, you are probably not alone. You are, however, completely and utterly wrong.. at least according to people like John Lennon. Lennon said that once music is written, the intended meaning of the author doesn’t actually matter any longer, and that it’s the listener who ascribes meaning. So, basically, you get to tell people what the song means (at least for you).

3.The sing-along completely throws you off.. which is kinda the point

In the music video, there is a scroll along the bottom that is supposed to let you sing along to the words of the song. This is super rad, of course and very Disney-esque. That is until you are thrown completely off when you sing aloud “your gonna sink the words wolf!” Wait, what?! The actual line in the song is “your gonna sing the words wrong”, but the scroll gets YOU (the singer and listener) to sing the words wrong by following along! If your mind is blown by how artsy and constructivist this is, you are gettin’ it.

4.It makes no &#$&*##* sense! (Everything is a lie)

Constructivism prides itself on taking a different approach to IR. Things that are commonly taken for granted in other fields or disciplines (like history, the scientific method, etc.) are broken down to the point that your understanding of the world will be shattered and you are left questioning everything that you have learned since the age of 6. Anyone reading constructivist theory will probably have their “oh, wait. Everything I learned is potentially inaccurate and I need to check myself into a hotel for a month to process this” moment. Reading the lyrics of Riptide might not have the exact same impact on you, but it still makes you think more than Bieber does.

5.It is cool, hip, and totally different from the other stuff

Constructivism is one of the coolest, most hip, totally rad IR perspectives conceivable. Not everyone gets it, but once they do, it is pretty palatable. The same can be said of Vance Joy’s Riptide, which for some, turns them off right away, while grabs others by the ear and forces them to listen.. again.. and again.. and again… and again. In other words, Vance Joy = Constructivism and the King should take his throne as the perfect anthem for the constructivist school.

#music #Constructivism