Why don't the current mainstream pop stars care about social issues?

~~Soulflower~~ · 03-02-2015, 03:19 PM

Back during the 70's and civil rights movement we had artists like James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayweather etc who made socially conscious music that reflected the times.

I ask this question because currently it appears we still are a society that faces similar issues, Ferguson, Black Live Matters Movement etc.

However, none of the current music reflects any of the social issues or important conversations that evolve around the problems that affect Americans today.

Why should we always look to Stevie Wonder for social tributes when we have current artists today that can use their influence to talk about the same things?

I think it is quite alarming especially that NONE of the mainstream Black A list artists had nothing to say about Ferguson. As an African American, I was pretty disgusted by that. I am not trying to make this into a race issue but just expressing my personal experience and opinion on the matter. This is strictly about social issues

To me that speaks volumes anyway you wanna slice it. I am not asking for these entertainers to be politicians but if they are given a platform in which they can use their music and influence to broaden an issue or bring to light a problem, why not do that?

The current generation of artists doesn't seem to care about the problems "ordinary" people face the same people that puts money in their pockets and I have always found this disturbing.

Thoughts?

Do you think artists should make music that reflects the times? Do you think music that discusses social issues helps brings to light problems that we face? Do you think this has a positive or negative impact? Do you think music can be a powerful tool in aiding in social changes or social movements?

Personally, I really care about social issues so this really matters to me.

xoxo

YorkeDaddy · 03-02-2015, 03:53 PM

Posts a topic that's explicitly about race issues

"I am not trying to make this into a race issue"

Anyway regarding the discussion: I think there's more socially sensitive music out there than you think. Even unknown acts do it, hell my band's album "Frownland" is all about our ****ed up society. We may not have genuises like Marvin Gaye for example dropping stuff like "What's Goin On" anymore but none of the current A-list black artists today are anywhere near as brilliant as he or Stevie Wonder ever was so how profound of an impact would current artists be able to have anyway? I for one am not interested at all in hearing Drake or something attempt to make a political album.

~~Soulflower~~ · 03-02-2015, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YorkeDaddy

Posts a topic that's explicitly about race issues

"I am not trying to make this into a race issue"

Anyway regarding the discussion: I think there's more socially sensitive music out there than you think. Even unknown acts do it, hell my band's album "Frownland" is all about our ****ed up society. We may not have genuises like Marvin Gaye for example dropping stuff like "What's Goin On" anymore but none of the current A-list black artists today are anywhere near as brilliant as he or Stevie Wonder ever was so how profound of an impact would current artists be able to have anyway? I for one am not interested at all in hearing Drake or something attempt to make a political album.

This topic is not about race issues specifically but more so the issue of social issues being discussed in music.

I think that pop stars can still incorporate social issues in their music. Its quite alarming with all that is going on with various issues that affect society that they dont seem to have an interest in talking about these issues in their music. I am not expecting the music to be the same artistically as Stevies or James but at least the thought is what matters. This current generation however doesn't seem to care about social issues and are more interested in their own wealth.

Zer0 · 03-02-2015, 04:06 PM

It doesn't make sense to ask why pop artists themselves are not addressing social issues. The problem is why major record labels are not promoting artists that do.

Chula Vista · 03-02-2015, 04:08 PM

They talk about it via Twitter these days.

~~Soulflower~~ · 03-02-2015, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chula Vista

They talk about it via Twitter these days.

Some of the big name's oddly don't talk about it at all...

Aux-In · 03-04-2015, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chula Vista

They talk about it via Twitter these days.

Chula speaks truth. It's kind of like off-shoring your outrage from music onto Twitter, Facebook, or whatever the next big thing is. Those types of mediums didn't exist back then, so the only way to get a message out was through music, TV, books and so on. Social issues are talked about all the time, and the media makes double sure of that. Actually, listening to music for me is a great getaway from all the fake outrage that goes around these days.

~~Soulflower~~ · 03-04-2015, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aux-in

Chula speaks truth. It's kind of like off-shoring your outrage from music onto Twitter, Facebook, or whatever the next big thing is. Those types of mediums didn't exist back then, so the only way to get a message out was through music, TV, books and so on. Social issues are talked about all the time, and the media makes double sure of that. Actually, listening to music for me is a great getaway from all the fake outrage that goes around these days.

Why can't music also be used as a tool to influence others or bring awareness to an issue?

I know social issues is talked about but why can't it be talked about in music anymore?

Black Francis · 03-04-2015, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soulflower

Why can't music also be used as a tool to influence others or bring awareness to an issue?

I know social issues is talked about but why can't it be talked about in music anymore?

How great would it be to see one of these with current pop stars

I get what you're asking for Soulflower but times have changed.

YorkeDaddy · 03-02-2015, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zer0

It doesn't make sense to ask why pop artists themselves are not addressing social issues. The problem is why major record labels are not promoting artists that do.

Yeah this is just a better way of saying my point. There are plenty of socially-conscious artists out there making interesting stuff. I don't understand why we need this to be in mainstream music specifically

03-02-2015, 03:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
~~Soulflower~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,304	Why don't the current mainstream pop stars care about social issues? Back during the 70's and civil rights movement we had artists like James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayweather etc who made socially conscious music that reflected the times. I ask this question because currently it appears we still are a society that faces similar issues, Ferguson, Black Live Matters Movement etc. However, none of the current music reflects any of the social issues or important conversations that evolve around the problems that affect Americans today. Why should we always look to Stevie Wonder for social tributes when we have current artists today that can use their influence to talk about the same things? I think it is quite alarming especially that NONE of the mainstream Black A list artists had nothing to say about Ferguson. As an African American, I was pretty disgusted by that. I am not trying to make this into a race issue but just expressing my personal experience and opinion on the matter. This is strictly about social issues To me that speaks volumes anyway you wanna slice it. I am not asking for these entertainers to be politicians but if they are given a platform in which they can use their music and influence to broaden an issue or bring to light a problem, why not do that? The current generation of artists doesn't seem to care about the problems "ordinary" people face the same people that puts money in their pockets and I have always found this disturbing. Thoughts? Do you think artists should make music that reflects the times? Do you think music that discusses social issues helps brings to light problems that we face? Do you think this has a positive or negative impact? Do you think music can be a powerful tool in aiding in social changes or social movements? Personally, I really care about social issues so this really matters to me. xoxo

03-02-2015, 04:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
Zer0 ∞ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,792	It doesn't make sense to ask why pop artists themselves are not addressing social issues. The problem is why major record labels are not promoting artists that do. __________________ Last FM \| RYM \| The Final Sound

03-02-2015, 04:08 PM	#5 (permalink)
Chula Vista Toasted Poster Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: SoCal by way of Boston Posts: 11,332	They talk about it via Twitter these days. __________________ “The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”