Bridging Cultures Through Music: A Stylistic and Cross-Cultural Analysis of Figurative Language Translation in C-Pop

Abstract

This study explores how figurative language in WayV’s Kick Back (秘境) album 
functions stylistically and how its meanings are transferred through translation 
for cross-cultural audiences. Music serves as a medium that bridges cultural 
boundaries, and the translation of figurative expressions plays a crucial role in 
shaping intercultural understanding. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, 
this research analyzes figurative devices found in three selected song lyrics 
through listening and note-taking techniques. Data were processed using the 
Miles and Huberman interactive model, while semantic validation, expert 
judgment, and intrarater reliability ensured data credibility. The analysis 
identifies seven types of figurative language: simile (12 instances), 
personification (2), metonymy/synecdoche (1), nianlian (1), parallelism (1), 
contrast (2), and rhetorical question (1). Connotative meaning dominates the 
figurative expressions. Simile emerges as the most frequent stylistic device. The 
findings show that figurative language not only shapes the emotional and 
aesthetic tone of the songs but also presents challenges in translation, particularly 
in maintaining stylistic effect and cultural nuance. This study highlights how 
stylistic translation contributes to cross-cultural communication by enabling 
listeners from different linguistic backgrounds to access the intended meanings 
embedded in the lyrics.