Figurative Language in Expressing Heartbreak in the Album “Nicole” by NIKI Zefanya

Song lyrics often use figurative language to express emotions and personal experiences. This study aims to identify the types of figurative language used in three selected songs from NIKI Zefanya’s album Nicole and to examine how those figurative expressions construct the theme of heartbreak. This study applies Perrine’s (1997) theory of figurative language and Shaver et al.’s (1987) theory of emotion. A qualitative descriptive method was used to analyze the lyrics of the three selected songs. The findings reveal that five types of figurative language are identified: simile, metaphor, personification, symbol, and hyperbole. In total, 34 items of figurative language are identified in the data. Symbol (13 data) and metaphor (11 data) are the most frequently used types. The analysis also identifies six categories of heartbreak, with grief or sorrow (8 data) and agony (7 data) being the most frequent categories. The findings also show that figurative language plays an important role in representing emotional pain, loss, disappointment, and other heartbreak experiences. Overall, the study shows that figurative language helps represent heartbreak as a complex emotional experience rather than simple sadness.