THEME OF ACHIEVEMENT IN “APES” BY THE CARTERS

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The theme of Achievement in “APES” by the Carters

Achieving can be defined as a state where individuals feel satisfied after completing a task or any activity they had planned to do. Achievement may be in so many aspects of life, like in our case, the song written and released by the couple known as Carters defines career or talent achievement. In the music video, the two artists known by the stage names; Beyonce and Jay-z display some of their wealthy achievements, hence accomplishing the whole theme of success or Achievement.

In the song again, the theme of positive Achievement is also displayed by the music of surprise. The two seem to be a bit surprised by whatever they have done, thus end up using phrases such as “can’t believe we made this.” This statement confirms that the couple has been pleased and, at the same time, astonished by the kind of work they have done so far (Gray, 1978). Talking of positive Achievement, the context of the theme also gives a chance for negative achievements.

After noticing the kind of Achievement their talent has brought upon their careers, the two artists display their gratitude to God by openly thanking Him in the lyrics and the video itself (Defour, Paludi, 1995). The video also demonstrates the audience to which their genre of music is directed, which is the hip hop society. The two artists mention and show crowds applauding them, fulfilling their goal of entertaining people through lyrical hip-hop songs.

The video displays different kinds of old drawings representing different holy personalities to match the name “apes,” which they refer to themselves (Gray, 1978). The song shows additional pictures which are used to represent their skilled art and interests apart from music. High valuable houses and clothing are also evident in the video to help one complete the approval of the theme of Achievement.

The entire content of the message displayed and sung by the two is believed to have been initially written by the wife. Beyonce then included her husband to show the audience their achievements together as a family (Meier, Bolvin, 2000). The song also represents some of the old hip-hop artists as the two are known as one of the eldest combos in the industry.

According to my research, the song has many hidden content and meanings according to the selection of words. The two-act as they are surprised by what they have achieved in the first place and then end up bragging about how rich they are financial. Mentioning expensive cars like Lamborghini is evident in the music video, showing us clearly that the couple was a little bit bragging about their material wealth but hidden it under their surprise.

Unlike most other music genres, it is widely accepted and listened to by many people across the continents (Gray, 1978). The music video here empowers those young talented musicians or any other talented individuals by assuring them that they can still make it. Being thankful to God also covers all kinds of individuals in society, as it shows everyone the importance of thanking God after an achievement.

In my research, I think this video served the interests of both the maker and the audience. It displays different kinds of culture and experiences which the two artists have already gone through, hence confirming that they have made it as the context says (Meier, Bolvin, 2000). The untold story about the content or message displayed by the songwriter may be accessed by looking into the lifestyles of the two. Thus a person will fully understand what they meant by saying that they have achieved.

The content’s message is best suited for the current lifestyle as most of the youths are talented but have negative attitudes towards success. The Carters try to encourage anyone who thinks that this world is not well suited for them by showing the audience how much they have done from believing in their talents. The message displayed by the music video is relevant to me because it helps me think that I can achieve anything from hard work, just like the couple suggests.

References

DeFour, D. C., & Paludi, M. A. (1995). Women and Achievement. Variations on a theme: Diversity and the psychology of women, 145-173.

Gray, C. D. (1978). Achievement is a family theme in drama.

Meier, A., & Boivin, M. (2000). The Achievement of greater selfhood: The application of theme-analysis to a case study. Psychotherapy Research, 10(1), 57-77.