The "King of Pop," Michael Jackson (1958-2009), released the album Dangerous in 1991, which featured the hit song "Black or White." The song hit number one on the billboards top 100 on December 7, 1991 and remained on the charts for 20 weeks. The single received the "Billboard Music Award for No. 1 World Single" in 1992. This prestigious award was won by Whitney Houston for "I Will Always Love You" (1993), Bryan Adams for "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (1991), and Sinéad O'Connor for "Nothing Compares 2 U" (1990).
The song's lyrics speak to the issue of racism, a system of prejudice and discrimination. Through this song, Michael made the statement that regardless of someones race or ethnicity, we are all the same. Rather than discriminating against one another, we should be embracing different cultures, promoting equality, and opposing racist remarks. Do not simply acknowledge the problem, but do something about it.
Some important lines from the song include:
"It don't matter if you're black or white"
"I ain't scared of your brother, I ain't scared of no sheets"
"I'd rather hear both sides of the tale. See, it's not just about races"
"Don't tell me you agree with me, when I saw you kicking dirt in my eye"
This is a strong message from a very influential pop culture. Do you see the same messages being conveyed in today's music? Should it be conveyed by today's artists?
ReplyDeleteIn today's society, I feel that there are more artist's promoting the message of inequality and the need for racial equality through their music, such as Usher in "Chains." It is definitely a topic that needs more recognition, so I feel that more artists should convey this message in their music.
DeleteThe question of "should it be conveyed" rather than is it conveyed is something we should all think long and hard about. That speaks to the question of the purpose and role of art more generally. I am a hypocrite--when art speaks to issues with which I agree (e.g., Michael Jackson's song) than I think art should convey strong messages about society. When art speaks to issues with which I disagree, I really wish it would be quiet. Art and in particular art expressed as part of pop culture can and should be political....
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