The Rivalry of Reinforcing and Subversive Discourse in Iranian Hit Singles The rivalry in social and cultural institutions, commodification, and appearance of new forms of wealth and power are well represented in the study of new media and popular culture. There is an academic gap in the study of popular media and the transitional process of media in Iran because of national and international stereotypes. The post 9/11 era of war on terror restricts Iranian media to social network and the national academia marginalizes popular culture as low and insignificant. Only a comparative approach can discover the complexities of competing discourses in Iranian popular culture where cultural borders of Persian tradition and western modernity are blurred. Despite their modern and westernized style, Iranian hit songs, be it underground or licensed by the Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance, are heavily indebted to classical Persian literature and didacticism. With melancholic or euphoric tone and recurring imageries, they are the site of rivalry between the reinforcing discourse of national tradition and the subversive discourse of modernized Iran. The beloved is the combination of Hollywood female celebrity and the damsel in classical Persian love poetry. Though the songwriters are reluctant to accept the credit of tradition, they are teaching the youth lessons of courtship and parental approval to start a relationship. On the other han

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