The aim of this research is to explore the symbolic position of alcohol in the contemporary Slovenian culture of folk pop music. It begs the question of whether alcohol is an important part of Slovenian culture and what is its symbolic place in contemporary folk pop music, including both older and newer productions. For decades Slovenia has exceeded the European average of registered alcohol consumption. Slovenian folk pop music is a contemporary phenomenon, which emerged in the 19th century and developed from traditional folk music. The research consists of a semiotic analysis of a sample of 15 songs that are alcohol-themed and ranked among the 100 most played songs in repartition class 110 – commercial and non-commercial radio stations. We look at the 100 most played songs as an indicator of taste and at music editors as intermediaries of a broader social taste. The folk pop music genre establishes a positive attitude towards drinking and does not problematize it. Alcohol is introduced through lyrics describing events of everyday life in the context of the total social fact that excessive alcohol consumption, which is part of the convivial nature of folk pop music, is legitimate, logical, and respectable.
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