The most popular songs are not always lyrically deep. Think of “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter. 

The melody is the most important part of the songwriting process, according to MasterClass, a catchy one makes a song memorable. To some, lyrics are still a significant aspect of a good song. 

Sumanth Gopinath, an associate professor of music theory at the University of Minnesota, said it is difficult to separate sound and lyrics in music. 

When talking about “The Bridge” by Dolly Parton, Gopinath believes the importance of both lyrics and melody is apparent. The song is from the perspective of a woman who is pregnant, the father left her and she is going to jump off the bridge where the couple first met. It is a symbolic place in their love story. 

“You kissed me for the first time here / An’ held me awfully tight / And the bridge became our favorite place / We came here often in the night,” Parton sings. 

Storytelling is a key quality of country music, and it is something Parton excels at, Gopinath said. 

“The lyrics are important, but the way she sings it and the way the music accompanies it,” Gopinath said. “There’s a mimicking of her heartbeat on a drum that occurs later on in the song. It all works really well.” 

Albert Klayman, a senior DJ at Radio K, said he initially favors sound in a song and takes notice of lyrics later. 

“I find myself either immediately grabbed or immediately turned off by a song based on the sound,” Klayman said. 

Klayman said he tends to listen to rap and R&B because he likes the beat and production of the songs. He said MF Doom and Wu-Tang Clan have strong production. 

Klayman notes the song “Fourth Chamber” on “Words from the Genius” by GZA, who is one of the members of Wu-Tang Clan. 

“There’s this absolutely grinding bassline,” Klayman said. “It’s so constant and heavy and very penetrating throughout the whole song.” 

Anna Adamson, a sophomore DJ trainee at Radio K, is a big reader and loves poetry, so she said she naturally prefers the lyrics of a song. Adamson brought up album “Blue” by Joni Mitchell, specifically “A case of you,” as an example.

“Oh, you’re in my blood like holy wine / You taste so bitter and so sweet / Oh, I could drink a case of you, darling / And I would still be on my feet,” are Adamson’s favorite lyrics on the track. 

Adamson said sound still matters to her, but she listens to the lyrics first and holds them to a higher regard. 

According to Adamson, three things that make a song great are the relatability of the lyrics, a variety of instrumental sounds and gut-wrenching lyrics that linger. 

“It’ll get stuck in your head,” Adamson said. “Not necessarily because it’s catchy, but you just feel it. That’s what I love.” 

Emily Alexander, a senior at the University, said she also leans toward lyricism. She said she loves Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams because of their songwriting abilities. 

Alexander said she separates other songs with surface-level lyricism into a vibe-only category. These are songs generally known for their catchy sound. “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)” by Katy Perry is Alexander’s favorite vibe-only song. 

“My tears ricochet” by Taylor Swift balances impeccable lyricism and heartbreaking instrumentals, Alexander said. The instrumentals crescendo when the song reaches its emotional precipice.

“There is a part in that song where it sounds like a wave crashing,” Alexander said. “Since I noticed that, I haven’t been able to listen to it in the same way.” 

At the end of the day, one cannot separate the two. There are songs that are good because of sound, and there are songs that are good because of lyricism. There are songs that are great because of both. 

“When I hear lyrics in songs, I hear them as songs emphasized with emotion and inflections,” Gopinath said. “That’s core to what makes a song a song, and not just a written text that you’d read.”