Music is a universal language that can connect people of different cultures, classes, and races. It transcends over previously insurmountable boundaries and brings limitless emotions and positivity with it. However, certain music and musical artists have developed a stigma that surrounds them and diminishes their ability to connect individuals.
A trend has developed over the past decade that places musical artists in a negative light based on their origin. If you were a Directioner or a Disney Channel fan, you may understand what I’m talking about.
Society seemed to give artists like One Direction, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and others designated fan bases that were solely based on how the artists were defined. One Direction is a boy band so clearly, their fans must be adolescent girls. Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez started on Disney Channel so their fans must be young kids.
Not only do these stereotypes affect the artists and force them to try to “escape” their designated persona, it also affects their fans who don’t necessarily fit into the assigned fan base or age range.
It’s as if liking these types of artists or their music just isn’t acceptable and you should somehow be ashamed of it or your music taste is inferior. Music is music no matter where it comes from. It shouldn’t matter that One Direction is a boy band. The Beatles technically were a boy band too but that status did not stop their music from becoming revolutionary.
Judging an artist on their musical abilities is one thing, but correlating their abilities to a label such as ‘boy band’ or ‘Disney Channel star’ is different. These artists and their music are so much more than just a term or where they began their career.
As these artists grow, it is important that our opinions of them grow too. Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, and Selena Gomez are no longer ‘Disney Channel singers’; they are just singers. One Direction is no longer a ‘boy band’; they are just a band.
Cover Photo Credit: Pop Dose
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