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THE MOTIVE OF TOXICITY AND ABUSE AS A MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONCEPT “LOVE” IN KLAVA KOKA’S SONGS // Tomsk State Pedagogical University Bulletin. 2021. Issue 6 (218). P. 27-37

Introduction. Klava Koka is one of the most popular performers on the modern Russian musical stage, and therefore it is of interest to analyze the motivational content of her work. We have established the key role of the motive of toxicity and abuse in Klava Koka’s songs. It manifests itself in the peculiarities of the interpersonal relations of the characters of the songs, as well as in their values and attitudes. Toxicity refers to the ability of a person or relationship to provoke emotional pain and the complete depletion of the resources of the partner of interaction. Abusive relationships in a broad sense are characterized by the controlling, coercive, threatening, humiliating and violent behavior of one of the partners. Although the perception of love as pain and suffering is a recurrent idea of Western pop music, in Klava Koka’s songs, this attitude to love acquires signs of toxicity and, in some cases, abusiveness. Aim and objectives. The aim of the article is to prove the dominant role of the motive of toxicity and abuse in Klava Koka’s songs. Material and methods. We have analyzed 26 songs written by Klava Koka herself or in co-authorship with the lyricists of the Black Star label. The main research methods are the method of holistic analysis of a work, as well as conceptual analysis. Results and discussion. The motive of toxicity and abuse in Klava Koka’s songs is manifested in the following features of the characters’ relationships and their values: metaphorization of love as pain and suffering, antagonism between partners in relationships, dominance / submission as a pattern of relationships, violence as an important component of relationships, dependence from a partner or from a relationship, intensification of love feelings by one of the partners. The fact that in all the songs that we have considered, the listed features are presented to certain degree, enables us to speak about the dominant role of the motive of toxicity and abuse in Klava Koka’s work. Conclusion. Toxicity and abuse tend to be romanticized in the singer’s lyrics, being presents as an integral part of “genuine” relationships and a manifestation of “true” love. The motive of toxicity and abuse is functioning as the main means of realization of the concepts of “love” and “pain” in Klava Koka’s songs, where the both concepts are linked into a single conceptual pair.

Keywords: motive, concept, toxicity, abuse, Klava Koka, Morgenstern