The most interesting thing I read for today’s class came from the Beysthetics reading, which talks about the way Beyonce “has earned the right to claim her spot among the greats”, and it is because she has earned the right that she is able to elevate her family and her lineage. It’s kind of patronizing the way it seems she only gets to talk about her lineage positively because she has worked her way to the top of the music industry. And it’s not just her own specific lineage but that of all black people that she feels like they can only be raised up now at this point in her career. While she most definitely has earned the right to do pretty much anything, I don’t think this is something in which a right needs to be earned.
In terms of the podcast, I was shocked by how important music really is for so many different reasons. I obviously know that music is a universal language and brings people together, so it is important in that regard, but its association with protest is something I hadn’t ever thought of before. It is used for propaganda, to communicate to others, and to convince people to join your side. The way music changes with the times and the way one song can make such a difference is mind blowing. But in watching the Formation and This is America music videos I realized how important it is to listen to the lyrics. Something can sound like pop and pure entertainment, but the words are deeper than the surface and they can make people feel things and change minds. This brings me back to our previous discussion on context, which goes for music as well. The meaning behind lyrics of songs is dependent entirely on the time period, the artist, and the intended audience. Taking songs out of their context strips them of their meaning, so we must make an effort to understand the context of music in addition to just listening to the words.
I think your point on the Beysthetics reading is quite interesting. To me, I believe that there is a right that you should earn in order to represent her lineage. To be someone that is respected across multiple industries brings with it certain levels of credibility. Although in practicality, you don’t need the right to speak about your lineage, having the right to or the credibility to brings with it more authority and respect. That credibility is the only way you get to listen to your point of view. That’s just the nature of things.
Context is so important when listening to music, I agree. This Is America is a song that I particularly feel loses a lot of its power and meaning if you do not watch the music video. It is a song that relies heavily on visuals and not on lyrics, which are very sparse throughout the song. Remove that visual context, and the song loses the true intentions that it had.
Another thing that I admire about artists is the impact they can have on others. You hear people often talk about how much a certain artist means to them and even that a certain artist saved their life. Artists have so much power an influence in a person’s life. Music is so powerful on so many different levels.
I think your point about the Beystethics is really important. Beyonce didn’t have to ‘earn’ the right to celebrate her blackness, but the reactions of people who didn’t ‘expect it’ are really interesting. The SNL skit “The Day Beyonce Turned Black” comes to mind as a satirical representation of actual reactions people had to Formation and the Lemonade album. The exchange where one person says “Maybe this song wasn’t made for us?” and someone else replies “But usually everything is!” is a pretty good representation of how white people interact with a lot of popular culture.