In a survey put out to Warren Hills students, 59% said they were aware of the controversies surrounding the most popular musicians of today’s world. But how many students really care?
A boycott has been a form of protest for many years. From helping the civil rights movement to taking action for the Palestinian vs Israeli war. Protests are a popular way to make a change because of its effectiveness and shows the importance of power in number. But how much does this really account for in terms of music?
Although many people know of many of the negative actions celebrities partake in, does the public have a responsibility to take action? It is no surprise that in today’s world, many celebrities like Morgan Wallen, Kayne West, and Doja Cat income rely on the popularity they have among the people. All of whom got famous because of their music. Even though these artists, along with many others, seem to have been involved in controversy, it doesn’t seem to affect their overall presence as they are still relevant and in the public eye.
76% of students indicated that they do not believe people should continue to listen to these controversial artists.
One student said, “Just because an artist is a bad person, does not mean that their art is bad. Some famous artists may be bad people, but their art still reaches others. Their music still bought people happiness when they needed to smile, or closure when they were nervous about something. Good art is still good art regardless of who made it. If someone wants to stop listening to an artist’s music because of something the artist did, that is alright. However, if someone really loves a song, I don’t think they should be shamed if they want to keep listening to it, even if the person who wrote it may not have been the best person.”
Even though the method of not continuing to listen to new music wouldn’t be as effective because listening to old music would still benefit the artist, it shows that people still care and want to make some kind of effort. This idea may come with many difficulties.
In today’s world it is hard to find artists that have done no wrong. Within a couple of google searches of your favorite artist, you can find up to years of bad behavior, including {but not limited to}: racism, assault, and even murder. Many might see this as impractical to stop listening to all the artists they love. Just like boycotting restaurants like Starbucks and Mcdonalds which have millions of customers. The question presented is: even if I stop listening to them, they will still be rich and famous, so what’s the point?
“There’s a lot of grey areas for people who listen to their music. If they’re listening to support or to enjoy then it’s hard to say. It’s fairly common knowledge that most platforms do pay the artist for the listeners the songs receive. Whether or not they know that just listening supports the artist may separate it from right or wrong.”
Should people separate the music from the artist? 72% of WH students polled say yes. But what do you say?
