RIANNA SEELIG
Staff Writer
Music can change the world — this is acknowledged by many. Music has power to inspire, change people, fuel political movements and start social change. Music has power completely beyond the imagination.
Music or musical performances leading to social or political change likely became most prominent in the ‘70s and ‘80s due to the music and music videos put out by Michael Jackson.
Consider the popularity of videos such as “Man in the Mirror,” “Thriller,” “Beat It,” and “Billie Jean.” No one was doing what Michael Jackson was doing when it came to music as an influential art form.
That being said, Jackson was not the only one creating influential music videos. The Beatles, Guns N’ Roses, 2Pac, Biggie, Marilyn Manson and Whitney Houston also had great power when it came to influencing generations with music and sparking conversation.
In recent years, artists have taken somewhat of a different approach. Rappers specifically have become more aggressive lyrically, with artists such as Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj having politically-charged lyrics in nearly every song, often dealing with the poor race relations in the United States.
However, the power surpasses that of mere lyricism. Just as Jackson and 2Pac did with certain music videos, popular artists have begun realizing visual protest is much more influential on fans and society.
Vaughn Faison, a Fredonia graduate, points out the ties between music and our culture.
“Music is deeply integrated into our culture. It greets us in many forms throughout each day. It is only natural that a medium used to enhance social experiences and influence our decisions could also be used to bring about social change. I think artists like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar are helping people take action much like Mavis Staples, Sam Cooke and many other artists from the era of the Civil Rights Movement helped to do,” he said.
Recently, Beyoncé caused waves with the release of her video for the song “Formation.” In the video, Beyoncé depicts her Creole culture, and tackles heavy subjects such as Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath and violence involving police in the U.S.
One of the most controversial aspects of the video is when, in the midst of police violence being depicted, a wall reading “stop shooting us” is shown the in background, a plea from people of color, targeted at white law-enforcement, that has become rampant on social media.
Beyoncé was heavily criticized by Fox and CNN, saying her performance was “anti-white” and could be considered a trigger for violence. Beyoncé responded with an even more politically-charged performance at the Super Bowl, where her backup dancers were dressed as members of the Black Panthers.
According to an article by CNN, Beyoncé, up until the “Formation” video, was a celebrity “beyond race”. CNN also argues that Beyoncé’s Super Bowl performance was a failed attempt at a political statement.
“Police have argued that the imagery in the video is anti-law enforcement, and her apparent tribute to the Black Panthers [at the Super Bowl] fell just as flat, given that group’s history of tensions with the authorities,” stated the article.
Nick Bernard, a Fredonia graduate, views political statements made through music as extremely powerful, with great ability to inspire change.
“Music has always played a powerful role in activism because the goal of music is to make our intangible ideas tangible. The power of celebrities also cannot be overlooked. When someone who is admired for whatever reason shows solidarity with your feelings and grievances through their music it feels personal but also universal,” he said.
Beyoncé was not the only one to spark conversation and potential social/political change at the Super Bowl. Coldplay also performed during the halftime show. Its performance was one big political statement, one that was quite obviously advocating for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. Reactions were generally positive and supportive.
Also quite recently, Kendrick Lamar gave a politically-charged performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards. The rapper performed three songs: “Blacker the Berry,” “Alright” and a previously unreleased track from an older album. Race-relations and racism fueled the conversation.
Clearly, music has become a tool for change, conversation and inspiration to make a difference. Artists have become more vocal about issues in the world and are encouraging their fans to do the same.