Song Spotlight: “Believe”

  • Mood: Empowerment
  • Themes: Identity, Strength
  • Tempo: Moderate
  • Genre/Style: Dance-pop

Cher is an American singer, actress, and a television personality, who has been in the arts industry for six decades. Cher has been referred to as the “Goddess of Pop,” and has journeyed through a variety of styles of music and has sold over 100 million records worldwide through the duration of her career. Cher is known for her philanthropy and social activism. She is an icon in the LGBTQ+ community and has found recognition for her autonomy in a male-dominated industry.

Cher has sung in a wide array of genres starting with folk rock and eventually transitioning into the dance-pop genre in 1998 with her hit song “Believe.” Cher was the first artist to use auto-tune as an artistic tool in this song which led many others to attempt to emulate this new sound, which came to be known as the “Cher-effect.”  

Here are some of the lyrics:

No matter how hard I try

You keep pushing me aside

And I can’t break through

There’s no talking to you

It’s so sad that you’re leaving

It takes time to believe it

But after all is said and done

You’re gonna be the lonely one, oh

 

Do you believe in life after love?

I can feel something inside me say

I really don’t think you’re strong enough, no

Do you believe in life after love?

I can feel something inside me say

I really don’t think you’re strong enough, no

 

This is a great song to use in a 1:1 setting or group and would go well with a collection of songs that reflect identity or strength. It can be used as a transition into group discussion, an opportunity for musical engagement, movement and more. 

Try This:

Theme This song would fit well into a collection of songs about empowerment or a through the years theme.  Other complementary songs may include “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Eye of the Tiger,” and “Brave

Encourage the group to explore what individual group members feel describe a part of their identity. Prompt the group to pick a word that may describe themselves or pick a song that describes who they are today.

Movement: Try out some rhythmic movements along to the music, trying smaller movements to the verses and larger movements to the chorus to match the dynamics of the music. 

Create a dance to go along with the music

Add instruments like shakers or body percussion like tapping toes and clapping hands.

 

Leave a Comment