Selected Figurative Language in the Album Native by OneRepublic

I Komang Tirta Anggi Wicaksana (Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar)
Ida Bagus Gde Nova Winarta (Fakultas bahasa Asing,Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar)
Putu Devi Maharani (Fakultas bahasa Asing,Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar)

Elysian Journal : English Literature, Linguistics, and Translation Studies
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026): Elysian Journal: English Literature, Linguistics, and Translation Studies

This study explores the lyrics of OneRepublic’s album Native to uncover the deep human emotions and experiences hidden within the songs. The goal is to identify different types of figurative language, explain how they function within the music, and understand why these "hidden messages" are important to the listener. To keep the findings clear and organized, the study uses a quantitative method according to Sudalryalnto (1993) to track and count the data. The analysis is built on two key academic theories: Knickerbocker and Reninger (1974:283): This theory is used to identify and categorize the specific types of figurative language found across the 12 songs. And Leech (1981:9-19): This theory is applied to explain the deeper meanings behind the lyrics, providing a more effective way to interpret what the songwriter is trying to communicate. By combining these two theories, the research offers a structured look at how creative language helps express complex feelings in popular music.