Listening to music is like walking through a minefield. One wrong step and suddenly everything blows up and has you questioning your favorite musicians.
Being a musical artist is difficult, but being a fan can be more complicated. Students often choose to stop listening to certain artists due to controversial actions taken or views held by them.
One artist, Kanye West, a rapper from Chicago, has recently made controversial tweets and statements online that are causing many fans to turn away from his music.
“Some of the things he’s said and done, I don’t agree with,” sophomore Oscar Lucas said. “When I listen to his music, I don’t think about how good the music is anymore. I think about how bad of a person he is.”
This is the fate of many artists in the industry, like Playboi Carti, Morgan Wallen and Drake, as controversy and rumors spark hate and negative feelings toward musicians. This is especially prevalent online, where people freely express their feelings toward an artist, which quickly spreads controversy to the global spotlight. Some reasons artists become controversial or get “canceled” include rumors, conflicting beliefs, controversial views, racism, homophobia, sexism, and changes in genre.
Whatever the reason, controversy usually ends with the artist’s reputation and popularity spiraling downward. As the rumors build, fewer and fewer people choose to support them or their content.
Playboi Carti is one of many examples of how controversy and rumors damage and destroy an artist’s career, as rumors surfaced of him being satanic, which stemmed from his 2020 album “Whole Lotta Red.” The satanic and demonic-sounding songs sparked these rumors against him, as reported by The Express Tribune.
“I think his music is pretty good,” freshman Xiomara Ortiz said, “but I feel like he ruined his career by being demonic.”
Another way artists can destroy their careers is through rivalries, as in the case of Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Dissing each other in different songs has significantly impacted the reputation of both, but in different ways.
Lamar released “Not Like Us,” in which he called Drake and his team pedophiles, garnering a vast majority of public support. To escalate the situation, Kendrick Lamar played the song at the Super Bowl halftime show in front of millions, slandering Drake’s reputation while inflating his own.
“They are being very childish and immature,” said junior Christopher Baker, “and rivalries are not very good in how they are against each other and spread negativity. I think we should all be friends.”
Drake is an example of an artist destroying their career with acts of pedophilia and other misconduct. Drake’s reputation, even before the rivalry with Kendrick Lamar, was already on the downturn for many controversies, such as hiding that he had a son, having private photos leaked online, and kissing a minor at a concert.
In this case, the artist loses support due to a mix of rumors and facts. However, other artists lose support due to blatant hate and mistreatment of certain groups, such as racism, homophobia and sexism.
“I think that racism in the music industry is at an all-time high, and we should call out artists who are racist,” said sophomore Henry Wilson. “It’s wrong, and if somebody gets caught being racist, there should be consequences.”
Many people dream of being artists. While some never get their chance, others ruin theirs through rumors and controversy.
“Artists are saying the wrong things,” said sophomore Jenna Webster, “and this generation doesn’t approve of these things.”
