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It’s definitely a trend among young female singers and actresses:
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Outspoken criticism of Christianity is a theme on Reflektor:
Religious imagery was also present on the band’s previous album, Neon Bible. Vocalist Win Butler studied theology at McGill University.
Like much of Reflektor, “Afterlife” is both a celebration of life and an examination of religion. The song itself is an indictment of religion’s tendency to downplay inequality, human suffering, etc. due to the cosmic payoff of entry into heaven.
In this line, Butler is questioning the value of that payoff, calling afterlife, “an awful word.” For Arcade Fire, afterlife is an unfortunate concept because it’s representative not of something better post-life, but of the finality of death.
This could also be the afterlife of a relationship. After all the love (“breath”) is gone, what happens? This also makes the chorus more literal.
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A nod back to the “missionaries” theme seen in the first verse. Butler throws another middle finger their way, saying that the hell living within sanctimonious evangelicals is as dark and infernal as the Christian’s hell.
Yeah, heaven's a place and they know where it is Arcade Fire – Here Comes the Night Time
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This is most likely a reference to the Talking Heads song “Heaven” written by David Byrne, an artist Arcade Fire has performed with in the past:
Heaven, heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Everyone knows about heaven, but “they” are saying that it is really a place. This is elaborated upon later.
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I'll be a thorn in your side for always CHVRCHES – We Sink
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This may be an allusion to the mythological artifact Pandora’s box, an misleadingly attractive chest that is said to house all the evil in the world. Those in the presence of the box feel an overwhelming urge to open it.
Vocalist Lauren Mayberry could be using this as a metaphor for an ostensibly attractive/caring lover who turns out to be selfish and essentially “evil.”
That they say you can have
Try to retie the ties
That you will leave behind
Slowly cross off the days
That they say you can have
Try to retie the ties
That you will leave behind CHVRCHES – Under the Tide
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The months spent following a severed relationship can be tormenting and gruelingly long, and attempts to rekindle lost friendship are many times fruitless. Doherty illustrates this by comparing it to a prisoner’s tallying of days in a sentence.
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