Our world has never been as public as it is now, with the current culture of recording everything and posting private thoughts on social media for everyone to see. Many industries that were once shrouded in secrecy are now being brought to light, including the music industry. There have been many cases where artists have been criticized for their actions, but what of the art they create? How difficult is it to appreciate the music as it is without the artist swaying your thoughts?
Let’s use Kanye West as an example. He is a prominent figure in music production and has created numerous hit songs throughout his career. However, he has also done and said many terrible things, with a lot of them targeting other artists and even being antisemitic. While this did put a damper on his reputation, many of his fans overlooked his actions due to the good music he had made. While his actions are inexcusable, it’s important to note that the music itself didn’t do anything wrong, so listening to it isn’t some form of support for the artist’s actions.
Of course, that line of thinking doesn’t always work for everyone. It can be hard to enjoy something that you know is benefiting someone you don’t like. Taylor Swift’s music often gets a lot of hate for being generic and bland, but I would argue that not all of her music is. This general distaste for Taylor’s music is less because of Taylor herself and more because of her fan base, which often overhypes every new album. I’m sure many of her fans have a genuine connection with the songs, but I often wonder if the love for them would be the same if they were made by someone else.
Separating the art from the artist can be tricky, as most artists tie their identities into the lyrics. However, I think it is a positive mindset to exercise, so that we may judge music more fairly and remove ourselves from outside judgments on the ones who make them.
