New Zealand rock and pop, while relatively new, are both very exciting and active genres of music. Several artists have found much success in the field over the years, having their music heard through New Zealand and sometimes even throughout Australia, Great Britain, and the United States. Having such a wide audience means these artists have the opportunity to send a message about their views on just about anything.
[...] Some of the more notable themes include environmental issues (seen in Herbs' “French Letter”), preserving Maori culture (Patea Maori Club's living in modern Kiwi society (Blam Blam Blam's “There's No Depression in New Zealand”), and romantic love (Split Enz's “Message to My Girl). These themes have been present in a broad range of both musical styles and time periods, which show their importance in New Zealand culture. They will likely be prominent throughout New Zealand music for some time to come, or as long as they remain important issues in society. New issues and themes may become more popular to express through song as time goes [...]
[...] The song then goes on to say that New Zealand has valium, rebellion, racism, drug addicts, and so forth. The song obviously struck a nerve with people as their album reached gold status a month after the song's release.[3] Crowded House's “Four Seasons in One also comments on New Zealand society. The title, “Four Seasons in One is an obvious play on the saying about New Zealand weather, and the lyrics continue to play on that by talking about rain, temperature, clouds, and so forth. [...]
[...] The song was well liked and obviously received some agreement from fans, considering it reached number one in both New Zealand and Australia.[1] Another theme seen throughout New Zealand music is the attempt at preserving Maori culture. Many Maori artists have used their music as a call to their fellow Maori to learn their history and immerse themselves into their own culture. In E I O Moana and the Moahunters urge Maori children to learn and practice Te Reo. The song has a fun, catchy beat to help it appeal to the younger demographic which the message is targeted towards. [...]
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