Ownership of your artistic vision

Art must be free

Two very frightening events have taken place since the summer of 2022 have taken place. Lizzo and Beyonce who happen to be ‘‘signature artists’’ and are the two most influential African American artists overall! Both of them ‘‘decided’’ to change the lyrics of their song because of one word ‘‘that certain interests’’ deemed offensive. Apparently, there was enough backlash and vitriol from a small amount of the public that is amplified by social media for these two mega stars to alter their vision. The last I checked they are the owners of their artistic vision and if we do not like something we vote our approval or disapproval by not listening! I find all of this type of institutional behavior offensive and a backwardation on artistic vision.

I pose the question……. have we reached the point even the music artist/songwriter freedom of expression has turned into a political football to be tossed about? We must galvanize to put a stop to this now! Art like the church is supposed to be separate from the state. Freedom of expression is necessary so artists can express what they feel in their mind and heart. This is a necessary evil or better put the cost of artistic freedom so the artists can spur debate without the threat of being cancelled or losing sponsorships because an aggressive loud minority have spoken up! We are not supposed to like everything. I feel that individuals who have grown up and come of age in the last twenty years feel that all is a social media post to like or dislike. This has stunted the growth of debating which doesn’t happen in this time!

What about the ‘‘silent majority’’ who have always existed who respects and appreciates artist freedom choose to use the words they choose? The artist has obviously chosen that particular phrase or word for a reason in that creative moment. It goes with their rhyme or reason in that moment of creation. The critics were not there to understand why those words or phrase was chosen! The ‘‘censor police’’ were not looking over their shoulder. Are these censor police being policed in their thoughts and actions? Does anyone ever pose this question or are we now just living in a fearful reactive country called America the former land of the free.

I can remember vividly when all of this social media was launched! All of us in the independent music scene marketers were all in because there was no financial cost! We are always battling the budget in our profession! Being on the independent side of the musical equation and not the major side I have spent much time searching for any cost effective and relevant ideas to get our message out. I will state here all of these tech platforms used the music industry to create there trillion-dollar stock or hundreds of billions of valuations and many didn’t pay the rightsholders of the music until very much later! It was anything goes! It was a free state!! Now Beyonce and Lizzo are being attacked for their artistic vision! I must say what part of the game is that?

I will ask a question here……is this, China? In China music is heavily censored by the CCP aka Chinese Communist Party we are told. I am stating here these types of actions are increasing the ideology of communism in the now United Communist States of America. We are in the former land of the free and the brave. It is quite obvious that many individuals have not read the Constitution. What happened to Lizzo and Beyonce smells like the communist manifesto and it seems like it is on many people’s nightstand.

Artistic freedom is of paramount importance in a quote unquote free society. In fact, it is the hallmark of a free society! A society will derail itself without it. The free society will granularly be chipped away and before you know it that society will cease to exist. The obvious quiet revolution that has been going on by these ‘‘intellectual despots’’ who have been raised to sit behind a device via a keyboard to spread a shuddering impact must not be paid less attention too in the future. They have a welcome opinion in a free society but are not the ‘‘song police’’. Way too much power has been given to opinionated ignorant despotism impersonating intellectual caring and progressive thought. It is also quite obvious these types do not have much of a life of any substance and are seeking to have an impact on such artists such as Lizzo and Beyonce who have grinded to attain the level where they are. These people want the shortcut to the ‘‘perfume’’ of influence, yet they do not risk anything but their petulant opinions. These social media platforms at their best can spark debate! In a republic government which is what the U.S.A is we debate! In a communist state the artist ‘‘cow tow’’ to the state of fear and oppression. the behavior needs an ongoing cease and desist order. When I co-wrote my four songs, I remember I just wrote out the words in the moment and passed to my co-writer. The songwriter’s vision and ownership not the communities! All of these types need to move to North Korea, and I bet they would be crying to come back here. Now what will your mind allow you to do.