Someone Like Who?

Idolized for her soulful, prominent voice, Adele has already made a song that most Americans sing along to on the radio.  However, sexism is a controversial issue in social life today and Adele seems to be pro-male-dependent.  In the song "Someone Like You" Adele sings about the man that she loves moving on from her.  What is her resolution?  Finding someone like him.  This song advocates the idea of a weak woman.  Women are beautiful, clever, and mysterious and, in my opinion, if a man leaves a woman, she should be confident that she will find something better.

When Adele mentions the woman the man she loves is now happy with, she sings, "I guess she gave you things, I could'nt give to you."  By saying this, she is degrading herself and promoting a negative attitude among woman who may not have had their happy ending with the person they thought was the "one."  Women, especially in a society that is trying to break sexist barriers, need to have a positive outlook on the cards they are dealt.  Women need to have the mind-set that they will find another man that is worth being with them, a man who wants to make them happy, or, more extremely, women should be content on their own.  Why is it necessary to have a man in order to achieve happiness?  Being independent and successful on their own should be an aspiration for the contemporary woman.  Adele's music, thus far, brings women back to a time when a man was everything.

And no, I am not a lonely, skeptical person.  I endlessly and fearlessly loved the same boy for two years.  I put him at the top of my list of priorities and idolized him until the day our relationship ended.  Of course I was sad, it's never easy to lose someone that you care about, but when I found myself tearing up after our last goodbye, I realized that I didn't want to be like Adele.  I didn't want my life to end because someone did'nt want to be part of it, and I believe every woman should have that attitude.  Admittedly, I do hum to the melodies of Adele's songs but I simultaneously curse her lyrics for the dependent lifestyle she promotes in women as she belts out, "Don't forget me! I beg!"  I do not wish for women to be heartless, I solely hope that after a small period of grief, women learn what they do and don't want from what hasn't worked out; look forward to a new chapter in your life ladies!  Think of the endless possibilities ahead of you and never, ever wish for the past, or else your future might pass you by.  There is one thing Adele was right about, "sometimes it lasts in love and sometimes it hurts instead" and after the hurt, you must move on.

Viva Latinoamerica!

Puerto Rican rap duo Calle 13 began their professional music career in 2005 after the release of their protest song named "Querido FBI"(meaning "Dear FBI" in English) in response to the murder of the commander-in-cheif of Los Macheteros, Filiberto Ojeda Rios.  Rios had been involved in the Wells Fargo depot robbery of 1983 and the FBI and though many Puerto Ricans did not agree with his political views - that Puerto Rico is solely a colony of the United States - his assassination on the anniversary of the Lares revolt, an unsuccessful but influential rebellion of the Puerto Ricans against Spanish colonial rule, outraged everyone.  With this vulgar and honest song to the government, Calle 13 succeeded in further unifying the country in the mourning of a terrorist who has been turned into a martyr.  This song was the beginning of Calle 13's success and today they still write songs inspired by current social and political issues.
 

In their most recent album, Entren Los Que Quieran, the song "Latinoamerica" also attempts to unify, but this time, not only within the country, but throughout South America.  This song also seems to be written with an American audience in mind.  As the chorus transitions into the song a matronly voice, sung by Brasilian, Peruvian, and Colombian singers, advises Americans that they are unable to buy the real things that make life what it is such as, happiness, pain, and the sun.  During the first verse of the song Residente, the singer of the two, describes the hardships of Latins, highlighting their strengths.  In the second verse, the discussion transitions toward a prideful tone.  Residente may only have raw products, but he is happy to have what he has and that is what makes him who he is.  The main message of the song is to point out how Latin American countries are being taken advantage of by Americans that use their raw goods without second thought to produce cheaper goods within their own country.  "Soy America Latina, un pueblo sin piernas pero que camina," Residente preaches - "I am Latin American, peoples without legs but we walk.

P!nk Defines Perfect

Never failing to go against the system, independent, tough-girl artist P!nk gives the term 'perfect' a new definition.  From this unique woman's short, dyed hair to her cutting-edge attitude there is nothing about her that doesn't scream strong.  The song perfect teaches its audience to be just that - strong.

In the music video accompanying P!nk's song "Fuckin' Perfect" a woman flashes back to her past and remembers a lot of painful experiences of being misunderstood, left out, and teased.  It seems as if this woman, as a girl, might not even survive, however, she finds a motivation and decides to turn that energy into something positive.  She paints and expresses herself through her art, and eventually ends up being featured in an art show.  At the end of the video the audience finds out that the woman is married and has a little daughter.  Although she had a difficult time growing up, the woman found love and made  a family.

Through this song P!nk is teaching people, especially women, that listen to her music to refrain from ever giving up on themselves.  If you find faith in yourself, someone, someday will find that same faith out of love and infatuation.  Society often defines words like 'perfect' based on external, physical features.  A perfect girl would have amazing looks, but to P!nk the perfect girl is able to be strong, motivated, and independent.  The perfect person is a real person who does have problems and makes mistakes.  The perfect person is someone who has been teased and bullied.  The perfect person is someone who suffers, regardless of the extent of the suffering, and comes out on top.  This is really a great thing for young teens of both sexes to look up to.  Modern American society is so currently consumed with looking great in order to feel great, but we forget that the two things don't have to be related.  This is what P!nk stresses.  Common people, look at what's within, and whatever is inside you, that is what makes you perfect to the people in your life that love you most.  They love you for who you are not what you are; we should learn to do the same for ourselves.

Lil Wayne as Misunderstood

 Popular artist Lil' Wayne was signed at the age of __ and, since then, has established a legendary name for himself in the world of music but what is he really about?  On his newest album, Carter IV, that was recently released this September 2011 the song "How to Love" had raised many questions about the person is.  With this song Mr. Carter has shown sensitivity and sophistication that many of his former songs lack.  With the former popular songs Lil' Wayne has, more often than not, chosen to show a more vulgar, and materialistic side.  The song "Lollipop" talks about a woman giving oral sex and "lick[ing] the rapper" as Wayne refers to himself and the "shawty" in a degrading manner.  Another hit of his called "A Milli" he praises himself for the money he has and the things the money gets him as he sings, "Got the Maserati dancin' on the bridge pussy poppin'."  The messages of these songs don't slightly compare to this new song "How to Love."  

In the music video for this movie, instead of dancing women dressed like strippers, an interesting story is created and the song itself aims to teach a message, most likely to the young women of today.  The music video first shows a woman who is about to get an abortion and ends up running away from it, against the decision.  After going home to the baby-daddy, a while later, a shot is shown in which the mother is being beaten as the child is just a baby.  As a toddler, the father is in jail and his daughter comes to visit him with her mother.  The father begins to argue with the mother and she storms away in pain.  The preceding scene implies that the daughter is now a young teen living with her mother and her mother's boyfriend.  As her mother sleeps on the couch she is being sexually abused by this man and forced to keep it a secret.  In response to the harsh world that this young woman grew up in she has spiraled out of control.  As an older teen in high school she dresses like a bad ass and gets a job at a strip club.  She drinks glasses of hard liquor and sleeps with sleazy guys for money.  She is desperately lost and caught up in the worst choices.  The final scene of this streak shows her at the doctor where she has been positively diagnosed with HIV.  Lil Wayne tells an extremely tragic story in order to open peoples' eyes.

With only a minute and a half left the video rewinds to the beginning when the main character is a baby again.  At this point the mother runs away to a family member's house after being beaten and marries a nice man in a church in the girl's toddler years.  This version of the story shows the girl as a young teenager in the classroom learning and as she grows into a woman she is modest and smart, a focused person that graduates from high school and studies hair to make something of herself.  In the end of the video the woman is in a doctor's office again with her mother, only this time she is notified that she is pregnant, and she is happy about it.  This happy ending is the ending Lil' Wayne wants for every woman and throughout the song he gives women a lot more independence and power than you would expect.  Though it is men who have a negative influence on this woman's life in the first portion of the video, she is responsible for her own actions the whole video through.  She decides her future with the choices she makes.  With this song and its accompanying video Lil' Wayne inspires young women to make smart choices in life and to settle for nothing but the best.  Every action has its consequence.  Ladies, respect yourself and never put yourself down.  Learn to love yourselves.  Brownie points for you Weezy, hopefully your songs will continue to embody the meaning that "How to Love" has as a single.  Consistency is key.

Giving into the "Price Tag"

In her hit song "Price Tag" British singer Jessie J lobbies against the materialism that has begun to inhabit the world, claiming "Am I the only one getting tired?" however, many pictures and research shows that the only thing Jessie J is getting tired of is being a hypocrite.  Though her song does stand for a good idea of what we should aim for as a society, it seems unlikely that an entire peoples can follow a person that doesn't even practice what they preach.  Jessie J sings against "shades on your eyes and your heels so high that you can't even have a good time" but the internet can easily provide an array pictures where the singer rocks rowdy shades or shows off platformed heels, like leopard skin, Christian Louboutin booties which she wears in one of the pictures below.  She seems to bounce between what she advocates as her true self in her music while she continues to obtain a "video hoe" image that entertains the materialistic people of the world in real life.  On another blog Jessie J is criticized for the exposure of her panties from underneath her short dress.  Her provocative fashion choice goes against everything she says in her song, reaching out for people to "slow down" and understand that "it's not about the money" while she walks around in outfits that are more revealing than most and wear shoes that are $1,695. Unfortunately, Jessie J validates my argument with her own statement, "I need to stock up on carbs because a bum sells more records."  If Jessie J doesn't care about the money why does she care so much about selling more records?  And if appearances aren't everything then why does she need a bigger bum?  Her failure to even make a good attempt at pretending to follow her own advice completely invalidates her attempt to create a better place where people believe that "money can't buy us happiness."  All Jessie J has done is show fans that it's okay to create a false image as long as it's to succeed.  Sorry Jessie, better luck convincing us next time; maybe then you'll actually support your own argument.

Katy Perry Supporting "Who You Are"

From the beginning of her career Katy Perry has displayed a strong personality for many women, and especially teenage girls, to look up to.  In one of her first hits, "Hot N Cold," Ms. Perry sings about a common male stereotype on why men are unable to make decisions when it comes to relationships.  Her forceful singing and engaging music videos urge her audience to demand a decision.  Why should women wait for men to make up their minds?  Just like in her song “Firework,” Ms. Perry highlights the necessity to be yourself and speak your mind – qualities that tend to pose a challenge among many growing teenagers nowadays.  This generation of human beings face the ultimate challenge when it comes to all politics, definitely not excluding cultural politics.  Katy Perry acts as an advocator of confidence and high self-esteem as she s women, young and older, to be “Pearl[s].”  Her lyrics emanate with pride as she compares women to hurricanes and refers to inner beauty being released like a firework.  Ms. Perry is a powerful woman, and her music aims to inspire and repeatedly encourage others to take advantage of the uniqueness within.  Her synonym for society’s judgmental word, ‘weird’ is ‘beautiful’ as she strives to succeed by enabling women with power around the world.