Many will assert that music transcends differences and unites people, but the four readings that will be examined in this paper will challenge that notion by arguing that music is more political than it may first appear to be. In reality, music can be a useful tool for starting conversations about significant racial and gender issues.
For instance, in his essay "Crossing Over: From Black Rhythm & Blues to White Rock 'n' Roll," Reebee Garofalo examined the "pattern of black innovation and white popularization." (2002). He demonstrated how white musicians appropriated some black musicians' original musical genres in order to gain more widespread success and respect. Although black musicians such as Beyoncé and John Legend are highly regarded in their respective genres, as Johnny Otis once noted, the innovative and creative contributions of black artists are often forgotten, if not unrecognized at all.
Meanwhile, Murray Forman took an interesting approach in discussing the relationship between hip hop and race by using space—the urban place where rap music is made—as a core element of his analysis. In his 2000 article “‘Represent’: Race, Space and Place in Rap Music”, he concluded that this genre allows marginalized groups in urban areas, particularly black and Latino youth, to express their opinions regarding the ever-changing and increasingly global economy that affects their neighbourhood or, as they call it, their ‘hood.
While Murray and Garofalo were focused on discussing the relationship between music and race, Robert Walser examined the interesting juxtaposition in heavy metal that attempts to define masculinity. On the one hand, the genre represents some of the worst characteristics of the patriarchy such as aggression, but on the other hand, heavy metal musicians also break traditional imageries of masculinity by subscribing to fashionable clothing and makeup, or by using a femme fatale character in music videos. These contradictions, according to Walser, show that masculinity is a vague concept that will always be erratic and is continuously changing.
Lastly, in her 2014 article “‘Same DNA, but Born this Way’: Lady Gaga and the Possibilities of Postessentialist Feminism”, Juliet Williams examined the relationship between music, race, and gender. In order to do so, she discussed Lady Gaga’s new kind of feminism, which some critics call “gaga feminism”. She also argued, by analysing Gaga’s hit single “Born this Way” and her two collaborations with Beyoncé, that her brand of feminism—queer identity feminism, rise above the norm feminism—which she primarily expresses through her music, ignores other equally important issues, particularly race.
The comparative analysis of these four articles will prove that gender and race are key variables in the music industry that allow musicians to express their opinions on important socio-political issues, that affect and sometimes dictate the success of musicians and their songs, and that influence listeners to pay attention to the issues surrounding them.
Race and Gender in Music
All of these articles illustrate the significance of music in understanding gender and race and how these different variables affect each other. Although they used different genres to discuss these issues, it is clear that music is a tool that both artists and listeners use to express their opinions regarding certain matters.
But what is it exactly that these articles are trying to say about race and gender in music? Particularly, how do race and gender affect the way artists create music? At the same time, how do these socio-political issues affect the way listeners consume music?
On the artist side of things, musicians communicate their thoughts about race and gender through the songs they make. For example, hip hop artists, who are mostly black and Latino, vocalize their fears and frustrations about the changes that globalization imposes on urban spaces and that are often insensitive to their cultures. At the same time, music can also reveal an artist’s subconscious—things that they do not outwardly express or even realize about themselves. Williams’ examination of Lady Gaga’s songs and collaborations with Beyoncé is a good example of how music reveals the artist’s subconscious. In Gaga’s song “Born this Way,” a song that has been used as an anthem for the LGBTQ movement, she uses racially insensitive terms such as “orient-made”, which subtly implies that gender issues are more important than racial issues. In “Video Phone” and “Telephone”, Beyoncé’s relative normalcy is used to make Lady Gaga’s break-the-norm image shine through. While Beyoncé is a representation of the civil rights movement—the past, the old, the normal—Lady Gaga is the muse of the gender identity movement—the new, the evolutionary, the extraordinary.
On the consumer side of things, when it comes to gender and race, the views and ideals of listeners are tested. For instance, heavy metal usually signifies that a man is a “real man”—tough, cool, and strong. But why is fashion and makeup acceptable when associated with this genre? Take away the screeching guitars and drums and you’re left with an image of a man that does not conform to the traditional idea of masculinity. In the same context, music styles that were originated by black artists are suddenly commercial and mainstream when spun by white artists. For instance, Miley Cyrus’s “Bangerz” album, despite appropriating the hip-hop culture, has made more than $1 million in sales.
However, it is also worth mentioning that listeners can also be smart consumers—they will call out an artist’s ignorance if they see it. An example of a famous artist called out is Taylor Swift when she appropriated hip-hop culture in the music video of “Shake It Off.” In the music video, Swift dons “booty” shorts and huge gold accessories that are commonly attributed to black and Latina women. There is also a scene where Swift is trying to breakdance. These particular scenes have led critics to point out that Swift is appropriating the hip-hop culture, saying that girls like her are “afraid of black people” but “hide their prejudice by proclaiming their love of the culture.”
Conclusion
Music serves a purpose beyond entertainment; music can also be a socio-political tool that allows people to express their opinions and to converse about different important issues. However, the four articles that were analysed in this paper suggest that there is a two-way relationship between music, gender, and race. As much as music is a tool that opens conversations regarding these issues, gender and race also influence the music industry. Unfortunately, as Williams and Garofalo have pointed out, this relationship may not always be to the best interest of these socio-political movements.
Bibliography
Forman, Murray. “‘Represent’: Race, Space and Place in Rap Music.” Popular Music 19, no. 1 (2000): 65-90.
Garofalo, Reebee. “Crossing Over: From Black Rhythm & Blues to White Rock ‘n’ Roll.” In Rhythm and Business: The Political Economy of Black Music, edited by Norman Kelley, 112-137. New York City: Akashic Books, 2002.
Caulfield, Keith. “Miley Cyrus’ ‘Bangerz’ Hits 1 Million in Sales.” Billboard. Published May 1, 2014. http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6077135/miley-cyrus-bangerz-hits-1-million-in-sales.
Khal. “A Timeline of Miley Cyrus Appropriating Hip-Hop Culture.” Complex. Published May 5, 2017. http://www.complex.com/music/2017/05/miley-cyrus-appropriating-hip-hop-culture.
Ramirez, Erika. “Earl Sweatshirt: Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ Video is ‘Inherently Offensive and Ultimately Harmful’.” Billboard. Published August 19, 2014. http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6221872/earl-sweatshirt-taylor-swift-shake-it-off-video-is-offensive.
Walser, Robert. “Forging Masculinity: Heavy Metal Sounds and Images of Gender.” In Running with the Devil, edited by Robert Walser, 108-136. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2013.
Williams, Juliet. “‘Same DNA, but Born this Way’: Lady Gaga and the Possibilities of Postessentialist Feminisms.” Journal of Popular Music Studies 26, no. 1 (2014): 28-46.
