Royals Ideology

In today’s society, music controls the way we live our lives. The influence that music has on society has broadened throughout the years and with social media being one of the world’s top priority, the fan base and spectrum for music in general has expanded significantly. Music is used to express feelings, moods, circumstances, experiences, knowledge, and so much more. With this being the case, the lyrics of any song can be interpreted differently by each and every listener. Many song lyrics give positive messages, promoting well-being, whiles others give negative messages, promoting violence, criminal behaviors, sexual contents, and disrespect towards others. With this being said, music reflects what the public demands, and in many cases the negative messages are often times what sells more than those music giving positive messages.

Popular music is often one of the best lenses we have through which to view our own cultural orientation. Many of the artistic and experimental shifts in popular music have mirrored changes in our own society. For instance, the emergence of Elvis Presley as a public figure would signal the start of a sexual revolution and the growth in visibility of a rebellious youth culture. Similarly, the folk and psychedelic music of the 1960s was closely entangled with the Civil Rights, anti-war and social protest movements. In this regard, we can view popular music as an artifact through which to better understand the time and place in which it is produced. In light of this, the state of popular music today may suggest troubling things about our society.

With technology growing more and more each day, it is no surprise that the music industry is transitioning to rely more and more on online sales. However, problems can arise from this when artists are taken advantage of by people who illegally download their music off of the internet for free. When one college radio host publically stated that she illegally downloaded her music, a professor by the name of David Lowery saw a problem with this and decided to speak up about it. He wrote a letter addressed to the college radio host, Emily, called “Letter to Emily White at NPR All Songs Considered”. With this, he also addresses the general public and calls them to make a change in their music buying, or lack thereof, habits. He explains that illegally downloading music is not a harmless task and we must understand the effects that it has on the artists as well as the music industry as a whole. While Lowery has strong uses of ethos, logos, and pathos, his conversational and

Music has a dangerously potent existential force. Individuals dissolve into melodies, beats and rhythms. According to Ban (Ned) In the U.S.A, “sound only exist when it is going out of existence” (Jones). This ability within music becomes threatened through censorship which infringes and hinders artistic expression. Radio stations use censorship to edit explicit music in hopes of preserving adolescent innocence, however; there in no value in radio censorship. The significance of radio censorship is diminished because editing music for radio play is ineffective in blocking the nature of a song, radio stations kill the authenticity of music, and songs lose their integrity.

Music has been around since forever, dated back from the late 1800s (music censorship debate). Music has become an important element of our life, and we are affected by it because there has come a point where we cannot eat, sleep, nor breath without its existence. Music has always been in our hearts. However, music has its own downside, this happened to be the controversy that surrounds it. Controversy often comes from the creative control of the artist’s work which are reflected in music videos, lyrics which are express openly with contents containing profanity, use of sexual innuendos, or even an act of Satanism. On the other hand, censorship viewed by many as a form of restriction on an artist’s creation, therefore

Censorship in music is a topic that has brought about much controversy in the past two decades. There have been many different arguments on the topic, however the question still remains as if it should be censored or it should not be censored. In Paul Blanshard’s book The Right To Read: The Battle Against Censorship, he speaks of censorship as a negative boundary on society. Blanshard argues that

The idea that a monarchy is the ideal form of government is a fallacy. Al-Farabi and Aquinas’ ideas about government are wrong, and are filled with irreparable holes. In modern times, the idea of a monarchy has become counter-intuitive and counter-productive. A democratic republic paired with an educated and empowered middle-class is the solution to the quandary of how to create the perfect government. While the ideas of the Arabic philosophers are interesting, there ideas on the perfection of monocratic rule are outdated by both new technology and new ideas

“Censorship, like charity should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there,” is a quote by Clare Boothe Luce (Fitzhenry, 84). Some parents are against the censorship of music. They believe that they should raise their kids, not some politicians who believe one nasty word will change a whole child’s future.

Music is one of the most popular ways of expression and has been for generations. It makes us want to dance, inspires, soothes, relaxes, and sometimes tells us a story. Music is something the whole world shares and has brought together different kinds of people. However, there has been a question on whether some music has affected society negatively and crossed the line with some of its lyrics, content, and the persona of the artists. Certain music has been boycotted and even banned in the U.S. Pro-censorship supporters say that music is something that can deeply affect our society especially children who should not have to be subjected to things like violence, sex, drugs, or hate. However, being that music is a form of expression,

“You say you want a revolution/ Well, you know/ We all want to change the world/ You tell me that it's evolution/ Well, you know/ We all want to change the world,” The Beatles’ Revolution, 1968. In their call-to-arms lyrics above, Lennon and McCartney are instructing their listeners to revolt and rebel against harmful social norms in a peaceful, yet powerful, manner. Ironically, while telling their listeners to resist the societal norms created by “Minds that hate,” The Beatles were inadvertently caught up in gender stereotypes and social norms upheld by the music industry in order to sell records, tickets, and merchandise. The music industry has long been criticized for their often blatant display of gender inequality and the promotion and exploitation of unhealthy gender stereotypes put into practice in order to profit off audiences. In the rock and roll and pop genres in particular gender inequalities are simultaneously seen and heard manifested in lyrics, music videos, performances, personas, and its audience. Music, as an artistic medium, has traditionally provided an outlet for artists to express their opinions on society which then ultimately has an effect on the society they are commenting on. Music can empower it’s fans to think and act a way they might otherwise have not, posing the question should a social institution be held accountable for the ripple effects they cause?

Today we face many problems in society such as school shootings and social issues that affect everyone who is exposed to the real world. Kids are being corrupted at a young age, and since as a whole we cannot come up with answers, we immediately point fingers at the music industry. However, the world does not see what these artists try to do in order to mold the minds of the young to make them better and overcome adversity to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Throughout time, music has played a significant role in shaping history. As time progresses, different styles and genres of music have been created and altered. There have been musical performers from a myriad of genres that have secured a place in musical history, and celebrities that have maintained their fame through the generations. [In the past, there have been countless Classical, Romantic, Hip Hop, and Rock ‘n’ Roll performers that have achieved their musical goals, and have been known and listened to even after they died.] Ed Sheeran is one contemporary performer that many believe one day may obtain the height of some of those that have been mentioned in musical history.

Throughout this seminar we have explored the cultural work of music in society as seen through the very capable eyes of women. These commentaries assume a certain knowledge base by these scholars in an attempt to explain what the music means and how specific music generated and achieve their signifying effect. The knower has the responsibility of providing the knowledge and it through their experiences that the knower provides us with a deeper understanding of their music and the relevance of the signifying effect. One such embodiment of this narrative is Lauryn Hill and the groundbreaking work from the “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” In this Grammy winning album, we get a glimpse of the artist’s power and control as Hill through her personal

A look at the music charts and iTunes now reveals the problems that post-feminism has triggered in popular music. Most artists represented on the music charts have used their sweet tone, sexual dance moves or provocative outfits to unite the post-feminist movement and represent the truths of sexuality. However, each artist understands the idea of post-feminism in a different light. Taylor Swift’s music doesn’t involve provocative clothing or dance moves, but sends the message of how to overcome being treated badly by men in relationships. On the other hand, Niki Minaj’s music is very unclear, as her songs don’t portray an influential or a beneficial message for listeners, to me; her message is what not to do, through what she wears and how she portrays herself when she sings live and when she is interviewed in the media. The importance of feminism in popular music arose as unity and sisterhood. Artists began establishing female dominance and empowerment in both their lyrics and their music. Back in the 1960s the feminism movement illustrated women rights and how men dragged women down and made women feel less important than people. The movement to post-feminism after the 1960s portrayed equal rights for men and women, there was no longer anti-men. You don’t have to simply be a feminist these days you just have to support the rights of people equally. In what follows, I will discuss the movement of feminism to post-feminism in popular music, scrutinizing Madonna as an artist

Summer hit “Blurred Lines” is one of the radio’s most played songs currently. The song is placed at number one on America’s top 40 charts for the week of September 14th. While it is popular, the lyrics paint a story of someone who wants the singer, but is a good girl. The message of the song is blurring lines of morality. Not only is the song soliciting sexual themes, but it goes as far as using derogatory names towards the said good girl. Also, the song has strong themes of guilting someone into sex, claiming that not many can refuse T.I.’s pimping. The song