Should we separate the art from the artist?
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Kanye West's anti-semitic song, Vultures, has reached nearly 35 million streams on Spotify.
As cancel culture takes hold on the internet, many musicians have been under fire for many types of bigotry. Whether an artist has been flamed for posting inappropriate content, to racist behaviors, it is not uncommon to see one’s favorite artist on news headlines for questionable behavior. This has raised the age-old question of whether or not someone should separate the art from the artist. Despite music that may be entertaining to listen to, the actions of an artist are often far too severe to excuse by supporting their music.
Lyrics are poems, which express experiences, ideas or emotions which are normally sung over some kind of beat. Lyrics are written with a single purpose- to cause emotions within the listener. The artist, the one typically writing the lyrics, is creating the art with one sole purpose- to move. Unfortunately, if the artist is under fire for something, it can easily seep into their lyrics. The art becomes tainted by the artist's ideals, actions or inaction.
A few months ago, a scandal arose for a big artist, Doja Cat. She suffered backlash due to her boyfriend, J. Cyrus, a comedian and Twitch streamer who had been in a few controversies. Old tweets and Vines with seemingly racist undertones were dug up, where he was accused of abusing his Twitch Staff. The accusations were pushed further when he was accused of assaulting various women. Although he apologized and confronted his actions, many claimed his apology wasn't taking accountability as he pushed that the encounters were consensual. Doja Cat, in response, lashed out towards her fans. In her most recent album, “Scarlet”, she released a song called “Agora Hills”. The song’s main purpose is to appreciate her boyfriend, placing her as the lover and him as the object of her affection. The art, the “Agora Hills” song, is deeply connected to the artist and her love life. By writing this song about J. Cyrus, Doja Cat promotes him in a sense. Due to the sensual lyrics and loving words, she shows her acceptance of his controversies and horrific past. She isn't the only artist to write controversial opinions into songs. Although the song may have a catchy beat, it is unethical to play a song that praises a man who has participated in horrific actions. Maddie Braun (’26) talks about her feelings about the Doja Cat drama.
“I feel like they should be worried about Doja Cat because she’s in a relationship with a known abuser,” Braun said.
Kanye West is yet another artist who was under fire for his actions. From wearing a White Lives Matter shirt to countless hateful comments, West has countlessly been viewed as antisemitic. Although he has apologized for his hate, he said he does not regret it. Many people are concerned that he is using his millions of fans to spread hate and misinformation, especially recently as antisemitism grows as the war in Israel and Palestine continues. Recently, he addressed the antisemitism in a song called “Vultures”. He mentions how he can’t be antisemitic, as he had sexual intercourse with a Jewish woman. This has caused even more outrage as he shows no remorse for his antisemitic words. He refers to the woman as a “Jewish b****”. Kanye West’s art, and his songs, have become ruined by his own antisemitism and hateful actions. By listening to his songs, listeners are supporting him and funding his hateful ideals. It is no secret that artists earn money and fame when their songs are trending. How is it ethical to help fund and expose an artist who has such hateful opinions? When one is considering the actions of an artist, it is seminal to question whether or not they would be supported if they weren’t an artist. In today’s culture, it has been far too accepted to forgive artists for their mistakes because they are musicians who make popular music.
No matter what someone may try and argue, it is nearly impossible to separate the music from the creator. The creator always leaves a part of themselves in the songs, no matter how separate they may seem. It is only natural to not try to separate them then, especially when so many artists show at least some kind of connection to their songs. It is time for artists to understand the consequences of their actions. Consequences that require listeners to protest what they believe in. Braun speaks on supporting certain artists with controversial pasts.
“I feel like if you're giving the artists money and they’re going to use that money to support their causes that they believe in…” Braun said. “Then I feel like, in a way, you’re supporting those causes, and if those causes are hateful, then you’re supporting those causes indirectly.”