Yes, of course it would be of great help to listen to songs first, because then, when you really knuckle down and study the grammar you will find it easier, because you've already seen much of it in an indirect way when going through the songs.
I recommend listening to the songs with the lyrics in front of you, and go over and over again till you get the exact accent and until you understand all they say without looking at the lyrics.
I recommend listening to pop music, especially romantic pop music songs, because they have more lyrics and are more slow and therefore more understandable.