I put on my headphones and began jumping up and down to the beat of the electronica song titled, “What’s Your PR. Ice?” The intense tune and concise yet powerful lyrics vibrated inside my head. It is a mainstream hardcore song, written by Sotui and sung by Kry.exe, which mainly satirizes plagiarism in the music era. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful song with profound significance. The song’s pointed lyrics and forceful melody cause listeners to consider plagiarism, human intellect, and moral restraints profoundly.

The pithy lyrics reveal the desires of the plagiarists. As the artists sing, “But if it’s true that everyone has a price, and the stakes get high enough, can you ever really trust human.” With a short combination of the words “can you ever” and “really trust,” the primary theme of the song becomes clear. Plagiarists cannot restrain their desire when facing the benefits gleaned from considerable benefits like the humans they are. The essential yet short and concise lyrics convey this serious issue with ruthless words within seven lines. The coldness is necessary since plagiarism is significant in modern music because patching up different songs is seen by many composers and musicians as malicious plagiarism. The ardent desire of the plagiarists demonstrates how they go astray along the “high stakes.” They betrayed the ones who trusted them and neglected their morals, favoring a monetary amount or some other, non-tangible currency. The stern scolding and satirizing of the behavior of plagiarism is flowing with the pithy lyrics, conveying information that plagiarism is something beyond the limit, something that people should not do.

The melody amplifies the conflict within the human mind. As the first line, “What’s your price?” ends, the song draws a downward pitch shift following an upward one, creating a fast-twisting tone. The rhetorical question in the lyrics and the rapid reverse in tone create a clear contrast with the previous melody, showing the conflicting minds of those who plagiarize. Maybe they had a sense of conscience but were finally lost in the desire for high benefits. When it comes to “And if you can, you have to ask yourself another question: What’s your price?” the music grows louder, with the beat of the drum strengthening in an increased volume. The background beats like bullets shooting in the sky or strenuous heartbeats of a lost person, representing the fight people have with the strong desire for profit. The empowering rhythm pushes the mood towards a climax, perfectly exemplifying the conflict within human minds about moral limits.

The lyrics as a whole question morality. As we take a closer look at the lyrics, it tells far more. It’s not only restricted to plagiarists, but to a vast extent, it’s more general and speaks to any human that has let their moral compass wander. In our lifetimes, there will be a lot of events that will seem to be essential to us and require our attention and participation. However, they will be immoral and will involve us in betraying the ones we love and the ones who depend on us. That is the price we pay to complete the actions that we deem necessary at the moment.

Admittedly, as the benefit gets large enough, and the risks low enough our morals tend to waver. Just like in Das Kapital, states that, for benefits, “A certain 10 percent will ensure its employment anywhere; 20 percent certain will produce eagerness; 50 percent, positive audacity; 100 percent will make it ready to trample on all human laws; 300 percent, and there is not a crime at which it will scruple, nor a risk it will not run, even to the chance of its owner being hanged.” Human intelligence can become fragile when faced with the price some actions command. Moreover, to what extent do we hold our true selves against an increased price? Furthermore, what is the “price” that leads us to cross our moral bottom lines?  Those are the questions that these lyrics challenge the listener to consider.

Thus, the song “What’s Your PR. Ice?” provides a robust audio impact with powerful beats and pointed lyrics. Furthermore, it elicits profound meanings beyond the words in the lyrics themselves, making the audience ponder. It is an exciting song to listen to, and it has an important message to hear.