Janet B. Ruscher

It Must Have Been Love (But It's Over Now): Thematic Changes in Popular U.S. Song Lyrics Across 4+ Decades

Over time, U.S. marriage rates have decreased, as people increasingly expect romantic relationships to satisfy high-level needs. Concurrently, interest in sexualized relationships (e.g., hook-ups; consensual nonmonogamy) has increased. Reflecting these patterns over time, song ly...