From tear-jerkers to mic-drops, NPR's music critics share the 2025 lyrics that made them laugh, cry and hit replay.

Over the past 50 years, the lyrics of popular songs in the U.S. have become simpler, more negative, and contain more stress-related words, according to an analysis published in Scientific Reports. The ...

The lyrics of more than 6,000 songs were analyzed. This is an Inside Science story. "Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth," sings Pharrell Williams in "Happy," but the joyful sentiments ...