Conceptual Metaphor in Contemporary Indonesian Pop Lyrics Reality Club’ Song: “Love Epiphany”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22437/edyp4d06Keywords:
Conceptual Metaphor, Song Lyrics, Cognitive Linguistics, Reality Club, Figurative LanguageAbstract
This research aims to explore the conceptual metaphors embedded in the lyrics of “Love Epiphany”, the album of the Indonesian contemporary indie pop band, Reality Club. The study is using descriptive qualitative content analysis in the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The study finds 15 units of linguistic data and categorises them into 3 types of metaphors, i.e., structural, ontological, and orientational metaphors. The total number of metaphor occurrences is 20, as in some cases, the classification is overlapped. Structural metaphors (9) were most dominant, followed by ontological (7) and orientational (4). Love is conceptualised along source domains of hunt, negotiation, game and journey (structural), shelter, monument and binding entity (ontological) and spatial orientations of forward, backwards and vertical movement (orientational). Contextual analysis shows that four key factors, relationship development stages, temporality, emotional ambivalence, and shared human experience, dynamically shape metaphorical interpretation throughout the song’s narrative arc. These results confirm that conceptual metaphorical language in song lyrics functions not only as an aesthetic device but as a fundamental cognitive mechanism for structuring and communicating abstract human experience, with implications for cognitive linguistic research in Indonesian popular music.
Abstrak
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi metafora konseptual yang tertanam dalam lirik lagu "Love Epiphany", album dari band indie pop kontemporer Indonesia, Reality Club. Studi ini menggunakan analisis konten kualitatif deskriptif dalam kerangka Teori Metafora Konseptual. Studi ini menemukan 15 unit data linguistik dan mengkategorikannya ke dalam 3 jenis metafora, yaitu metafora struktural, ontologis, dan orientasional. Jumlah total kemunculan metafora adalah 20, karena dalam beberapa kasus, klasifikasinya tumpang tindih. Metafora struktural (9) paling dominan, diikuti oleh ontologis (7) dan orientasional (4). Cinta dikonseptualisasikan sepanjang domain sumber berburu, negosiasi, permainan, dan perjalanan (struktural), tempat berlindung, monumen, dan entitas pengikat (ontologis) serta orientasi spasial gerakan maju, mundur, dan vertikal (orientasional). Analisis kontekstual menunjukkan bahwa empat faktor kunci, tahap perkembangan hubungan, temporalitas, ambivalensi emosional, dan pengalaman manusia yang dibagikan, secara dinamis membentuk interpretasi metaforis sepanjang lengkung narasi lagu tersebut. Hasil ini mengonfirmasi bahwa bahasa metaforis konseptual dalam lirik lagu berfungsi tidak hanya sebagai perangkat estetika tetapi juga sebagai mekanisme kognitif fundamental untuk menyusun dan mengkomunikasikan pengalaman manusia yang abstrak, dengan implikasi untuk penelitian linguistik kognitif dalam musik pop Indonesia.
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