demusic1-7, Exercise 3: Singing in German

Model answer (check the details):

Why it mattered: before the Neue Deutsche Welle, much German rock and pop was sung in English, which was seen as the natural language of the genre. Choosing German treated it as a language fit for modern pop, and the choice was both a statement and a form of play, with wordplay and odd phrases that English would not allow.

The difference to the audience: listeners could follow the words directly, so the songs spoke about their own surroundings and sense of humour. Hits crossed over to a mass audience that had not followed English-language rock, and the success showed that German-language pop could sell.

A complication: some acts also recorded English versions for export, as Nena did with "99 Luftballons" (check), so the choice of language was also a commercial decision.