Examples Of Racial Themes In Music

One of the most prominent visuals in Lemonade is the setting of New Orleans, Louisiana. In current times, New Orleans is most closely associated with the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2004, in which a strong hurricane devastated the city and left many killed, injured, or homeless. There was national criticism of the government’s handling of Katrina, stating that the government took too long to respond to the crisis due to the city being mostly populated by blacks. However, this is not the only aspect of New Orleans that is central to Lemonade’s narrative. The video also shows staples of the old American South during the time of slavery, such as plantation homes and slave quarters. In this setting, Beyoncé indulges a fantasy of an all-black utopia dominated by women, who dress up, take photographs, and

She emphasizes the strength, especially in the face of adversity, that black women manifest through this song. Her confidence in her appearance with more revealing clothing helped to defy the mold of black women that society enforces. The messages Khan sends through her music are grounded in black feminism. Kahn “breached the old walls of sexual silence and respectability that had necessarily defined the lives of many black women”(Echols 91). This emerging definition of black femininity in the seventies allowed black women to reclaim control over how they represent themselves and affirms their importance, strength and power in

On February 6, 2016 Knowles released a song and video known as “Formation”, endorsing the #BlackLivesMovement and embracing her own blackness. “Formation” is an unapologetic message that identified the roots and history of black power, as Black History Month approached.This music video also gives her audience an insight that includes, imagery of the affects of Hurricane Katrina and the evolution of black culture and femininity. This allowed her viewers to visually understand the cruelty and immorality of police brutality; however, Knowles demonstrates the

The artist, Destiny Frasqueri, explores what it means to be young and brown in today’s America through her spoken word poem “Brown Girl Blues.” Frasqueri informs listeners of the hardship and oppression on the black community and the racial divide the government keeps on society. This argument makes sense. With the pandemonium that appears on the news and the riots that happen daily it’s obvious the reasons behind Frasqueri perspective. Though Frasqueri is talking on such deep and demanding material she stills keeps an optimistic disposition on the topic. Destiny Frasqueri has spent her whole artistic career writing about the injustice of minorities. Many of her other pieces have a more dark and isolated tone, but not “Brown Girl Blues”. The jazzy and soulful instrumental integrated with a video of young, black, powerful females gives a unique and hopeful vibe to

From the album, A Seat at the Table, her song, “Don’t Touch My Hair,” remains a hit for black females around the world. This is Solange’s ode to black women where she aims to uplift and remind these women to be proud of who they are. The song is enriched with strong black pride. “Don’t Touch My Hair” is controversial and it stood out because of its powerful lyrics, how she used the visuals to illustrate the message, its relatability, and the way in which she brings awareness to current issues in her song.

Over the past few years, racial tensions in America have heightened. During this period, Black America undergo the daily struggle of witnessing the killing of unarmed black men and women. Victims of these endless killings and police brutality, turned into one of many hashtags, which led to the formations of the Black Lives Matter movement. Solange Knowles, younger sister of Beyoncé, soul singer and songwriter was viewed as the angry black woman. Solange used her platform to speak up. She became the most outspoken black artist for black activism in recent years. She embodies the image of a carefree black girl who is willing to let the world know that she is proud of her blackness.

All, of the dancers in this music video are African-American, and it is very clear. None of their hair is straightened, they are all in Black Panther-esque outfits, and they are “unapologetically black.” The concept of this video is head-on addressing systemic racism. An obvious example is the dancers but there are also many more. For one, the opening scene, as referenced earlier, includes Beyoncé herself standing on a police car flooded in water while a clip saying “What happened in the New Orleans?” plays in the background. This artist is using her platform to bring attention to the hurricane in New Orleans and how there was little to nothing done by police there. She is calling out the system in this video.

Over the past few years tragic events seem to be surrounding our society. An array of killings, social protests, police brutality and racism have startled the nation. Lately celebrities have been addressing these issues more and more on TV, in interviews and in the public eye. One incredible artist just used her talent to address all of these issues and more in her new music video "Formation". Beyoncé is an iconic figure in our culture, spreading her talent, feminist views and activism worldwide. This video is one of a kind. It is not centered on her but on Black America. There have been many critics disagreeing with Beyoncé 's video. They felt that she spread negative messages of police throughout her video. Others, however, loved her video. They felt she used her platform to reach out and address issues. Supporters and critics of the video have expressed their opinions in many different ways. In this paper I will analyze this video that has been shared worldwide. The question I ask is: "How does Beyoncé depict the complexity of Black Americans?" In order to answer this question, I will apply Pentadic criticism to analyze this discourse.

The Negro National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a song that celebrates resilience and hope in the African American community. It was written as a poem in 1900 by James Weldon Johnson and his brother John Rosamond Johnson, who composed the music. He wrote it to commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and to honor black resilience. He also wrote it in response to a rise in racial tensions and discrimination. The song was first performed in public in Jacksonville, Florida, by a choir of five hundred schoolchildren.

In Lift Every Voice and Sing, Johnson uses rhyming which of course is standard of most poetry. He also uses simile in line five with his comparison of how the sound of joy should be loud like that of the rolling sea. Lift Every Voice and Sing is both carefully and craftily composed, and uses vivid imagery as well as religious theme, which is also prevalent in a majority of Johnson’s works, again displaying his strong Christian faith. This poem has become so well known, and so popular, that it was recited by Reverend Joseph E. Lowery at the Inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama in 2009. In 2008 Rene Marie, a jazz musician substituted the words

Beyonce is an African American female artist making incorporating empowering messages for women around the world. She is creating work that speaks to an audience that might not receive authentic mainstream. Beyonce ultimate goal is to visually and sonically entice wisdom through her music. Recently in a shocking video release, Beyonce debuted a new song “Formation” as well as a politically charged music video. This song was an uproar in the music industry worldwide. Millions of people around the world negatively viewed this song as a controversy. The music video and song caused many people to debate and cause a worldwide conflict.

This movie is amazing and inspirational to other young black women, it shows that you many struggle but if you keep going your dreams and hard work will be recognize. This film touch on the gender norms and racial norms, which has strong connection to the four reading I choice to critical review this blog. This movie has strong connection to the Gaga Feminism theory, the concept is “a set of wholesale changes that may be most obvious in the realm of gender norms but that also stretch too many other realms of everyday experience and that call for improvisational feminism that keeps pace with the winds of political change.” Hidden-figures proved that Black women can do whatever they want if they put their mind to it. This is breaking down what society has deem as the normal way of doing this.

First of all, many artists explain social protest throughout their own music and explains how they feel about it. Domani Harris explains his side of the story throughout his song “Black Lives Matter”. Harris song, “Black Lives Matter”

Kendrick lamar’s award winning music video for his 2017 single Element shows the many experiences he faced growing up as a black man. The various symbols broadcasted throughout this music video show specific conflicts and struggle that he has dealt with throughout his life and also allowed black man that have been in his position something to relate to. He teamed up with director/photographer Jonas Lindstroem to help him convey his message but in a unique and creative way. The slow moving scenes show a softer depiction of his encounters. They give a sense of understanding which allows the viewer to be able to comprehend and absorb his message. As a whole, it was a collection of the pain, beauty, peace and violence that exists within his “element”.

Music has a dynamic ability of influencing emotions, from mood regulation to rumination and self-expression. The presence of political and social messages in popular music is frequently seen across cultures, in particular focusing on social issues and racism (Back, 2000, 127). This paper attempted to explore the political and social messages in popular music, more specifically it investigated the relationship between Soul music and civil rights movements in the United States.