Decoding the 'Bad Guy': Implementing the V.O.I.C.E. Framework in Analyzing Contemporary English Song Lyrics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31294/wanastra.v18i1.12280Keywords:
V.O.I.C.E Strategy, Billie Eilish, Multimodal Discourse, Identity Construction, Song AnalysisAbstract
The rapid evolution of contemporary popular music has transformed songs into complex multimodal texts that often pose challenges for traditional linguistic and literary analysis. This study introduces the V.O.I.C.E framework a simplified, analytical tool to decode the multi-layered meanings of Billie Eilish’s global hit, ‘Bad Guy’. Utilizing a qualitative descriptive method grounded in Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA), the research examines the song through five interconnected pillars: Vocal performance, production Originality, Identity construction, Cultural circulation, and Emotional resonance. The findings reveal that ‘Bad Guy’ achieves its subversive impact by deconstructing traditional pop tropes through ASMR-like whispered vocals, minimalist ‘bedroom’ production aesthetics, and the construction of an ‘anti-hero’ persona that challenges conventional gender roles. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the V.O.I.C.E strategy effectively bridges the gap between complex semiotic theories and practical interpretation, providing a structured yet flexible roadmap for researchers and educators. Ultimately, this research highlights a shift toward ‘New Authenticity’ in English discourse, where sonic textures and digital cultural circulation are as significant as textual content in shaping contemporary identity and global resonance.
References
Diko, M. (2024). A semantic-pragmatic deconstruction of Blinding Lights by The Weekend and Bad Guy by Billie Eilish. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 42(1), 523 – 534. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2989/16073614.2023.2262524
Fairclough, N. (2023). The Routledge Handbook of Discourse Analysis (J. P. G. Michael Handford (ed.); 2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003035244
Fingerhut, J., Gomez-Lavin, J., Winklmayr, C., & Prinz, J. J. (2021). The Aesthetic Self - The Importance of Aesthetic Taste in Music and Art for Our Perceived Identity. Sec. Cultural Psychology, 11(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.577703
Fisher, V. J. (2021). Embodied Songs: Insights Into the Nature of Cross-Modal Meaning-Making Within Sign Language-Informed, Embodied Interpretations of Vocal Music. Front. Psychol., 12(1), 624–689. https://doi.org/doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624689
Formilan, G., & Stark, D. (2023). Moments of Identity: Dynamics of Artist, Persona, and Audience in Electronic Music. Theory Society, 52(1), 35 – 64. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-021-09458-w
Forte, D. L. (2023). Music and Discourse: A Systemic-Functional Approach for Music Analysis in Multimodal Contexts. Multimodality & Society, 3(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/26349795231153963
G‘aniyeva, B., & Shamsiddinova, D. (2025). The Use of Acronyms and Abbreviations in English. Academic Research in Modern Science, 4(10), 109–113. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14977751
Holmes, J. A. (2023). Billie Eilish and the Feminist Aesthetics of Depression: White Femininity, Generation Z, and Whisper Singing. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 76(3), 785 – 829. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1525/jams.2023.76.3.785
Lim, W. M. (2024). What Is Qualitative Research? An Overview and Guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal, 33(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/14413582241264619
Michaelson, H. (2025). What Was I Made For? On the song by Billie Eilish, Jung’s Transcendent Function and Writer’s Block. Psychodynamic Practice, 1(1), 1 – 8. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/14753634.2025.2488511
Moniz, J. J. (2022). Regulating Vocal Load in High Impact Production. Journal of Singing, 78(5), 601–607. https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.53830/omoo7954
Münzer, L. (2024). Making Music Memorable (M. W. ByElke Weesjes (ed.); 1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003436225
Naeem, M., Ozuem, W., Ranfagni, S., & Howell, K. (2023). A Step-by-Step Process of Thematic Analysis to Develop a Conceptual Model in Qualitative Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231205789
Pagano, B. (2025). Music and Depth Psychology: A Theoretical Analysis of Tool. In Master of Arts in Psychology. https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/c534ft96m
Picone, M. D. (2024). Lyrical Code-Switching, Multimodal Intertextuality, and Identity in Popular Music. Languages, 9(11), 349. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110349
Queenta, M. P. T., Muliana, I. N., & Budiarta, I. W. (2024). Figurative Forms Found in the Song Lyrics of “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” Album by Billie Eilish. Pubmedia Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, 1(4), 12. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v7i10.11285
Rehfeldt, R. A., Tyndall, I., & Belisle, J. (2021). Music as a Cultural Inheritance System: A Contextual-Behavioral Model of Symbolism, Meaning, and the Value of Music. Behavior and Social Issues, 30(1), 749 – 773. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-021-00084-w
Sandberg-Jurström, R., Lindgren, M., & Zandén, O. (2021). Musical Skills, or Attitude and Dress Style? Meaning-Making when Assessing Admission Tests for Swedish Specialist Music Teacher Education. Research Studies in Music Education, 44(1), 70–85. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X20981774
Singh, I., & Kumar, N. (2025). Documentary Survey Technique: A Study. Integral Research, 2(3), 79–94. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.57067/
Tang, J., Tan, E., & Li, S. (2025). Favorite Music Expresses Socially Engaging Emotions: The Role of Self-Construal Across Cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 56(8), 1042–1074. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221251355202
Thapa, M. B. (2025). Defying the Status Quo: Social and Cultural Struggles in James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues.” International Journal of Sciences and Innovation Engineering, 2(6), 732 – 736. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.70849/IJSCI
Wales, J., & Sanger, L. (2026). Billie Eilish. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Eilish
Warrenburg, L., Centa, N., Li, X., Park, H., Sari, D., & Xie, F. (2021). Sonic Intimacy in the Music of Billie Eilish and Recordings that Induce ASMR. Future Directions of Music Cognition, 1(1), 139–144. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18061/FDMC.2021.0026
Welch, D., Reybrouck, M., & Podlipniak, P. (2023). Meaning in Music Is Intentional, but in Soundscape It Is Not—A Naturalistic Approach to the Qualia of Sounds. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 269. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010269
Xia, R., Li, J., & Li, H. (2025). The Construction of Student-Centered Artificial Intelligence Online Music Learning Platform Based on Deep Learning. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-95729-w
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Octa Pratama Putra (Author); Zubairu Sani Abdulkadir, Sri Dewi Anggraini
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
All articles published in Wanastra: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Under this license, authors retain copyright of their work and grant others the right to:
-
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
-
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially
Terms of Use:
Users are free to use the material under the following conditions:
-
Attribution — Proper credit must be given to the original author(s) and the source, a link to the license must be provided, and any changes made must be indicated.
-
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
The full license details can be accessed at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
By submitting to Wanastra: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra, authors agree to these licensing terms.
