Obstructing the 'Black Opinion'
SHOW DISCIPLINE
Growing up as a young Black female, it was always deemed “weird” to listen to anything outside of the regular norm of “Black Music”; which contains Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Tamia, Jill Scott, or even Lauryn Hill. Let’s not forget to mention any 90’s Hip Hop or R&B. Growing up in Chicago, it was always Chicago Natives on repeat like Twista, Do or Die, or Lupe Fiasco. You get the idea right? There was no room for listening to punk rock or alternative music; artists like Blink 182, Paramore, My Chemical Romance, or Panic! At The Disco.
I didn’t start listening to that genre of music until I was in high school. Where I started sprouting out to all different kinds of things, especially music. It became assertive for me to align my identity with my musical taste, more so having my own likes of music and steering away from what my parents fed me. I appreciate the initiative of other tastes in music because it helped shape my musical taste, but I was ready and willing to tap into something else and new. I started to tap into the band Paramore, I was obsessed with drums and always thought if I was in a band I’d be a drummer; so bands were a newfound obsession of mine at the time. There was always the lingering idea of whether or not it was acceptable to tap into something deemed as “White people music”; because none of my friends were listening to that kind of music so it was questionable as to whether I should be. There’s a funny trend on Twitter where they reference Paramore being for Black people because more than originally assumed actually indulge in their music. They are one of my favorite bands, the lead singer Hailey Williams has such a beautiful strong voice and I can resonate so much with the lyrics, they always been the perfect package for me. I never grew out of the alternative stage, because I’ve kept up with their work since I started, and they keep getting better.
Willow Smith has always been a young icon in my opinion; forever embracing us with a fearless aesthetic. Her music has always steered far from the norm, looking back “Whip My Hair”, at the age of 11 she marked her stamp in the music industry I’ve always thought about how children with famous parents map out their career; do they automatically get a pass just because of their last name and fame their ultimately born with? I like to believe she doesn’t fall back on her last name or who her parents were, she relied on her talents and aspiring craft.
Willow was recently interviewed by “V Magazine” where she described her personal experience being a Black rock fan and musician. She expressed that she was bullied for listening to Paramore and My Chemical Romance, music deemed not for us Black people. Little do most know Black women have always a strong staple in rock music, in the 70s and 80s; ranging from an icon by the name of X-Ray Spex’s Poly Styrene or even the 2000s punk icon FeFe Dobson. This can all be new information to most because of the idea that Black women being reserved to R&B, but the mainstream is ending and Willow is showing us that’s very acceptable. Truly giving us a run for our money and proving that Black women and Black people can sprout out and have a wider taste of music; broadening their palette and stepping out of their comfort zone.
t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l - Willow Smith ft. Travis Barker
Her single “Transparent ft. Travis Barker is deemed an alternative classic, especially with the iconic late Blink-182’s drummer Travis Barker. I think the addition of him in the song lets fans know that Willow means business and she isn’t ducking around, and she’s here to mark her staple in the music industry. The song leaves you with a pleasant feeling in your eardrums because it’s so smooth and totally punk rock. It’s the drums that do it for me matched with Willow’s careless lyrics. My favorite lyric from the song is, “Smile in my face, then put your cig out on my back”, it’s like who would’ve thought that such a lyric would resonate with me as a listener and they mesh so well with the beginning of the song. It draws you in to see what else she has to say the rest of the song or even going further with the upcoming album that I dream of being released sooner than later.
I think the big takeaway from this is representation because I was at a point in my life where I thought my friends and family thought I was weird for wanting to indulge in something outside of the norm. I have always had an eclectic taste of music, listening to all kinds of genres and time frames. I never was afraid to dig deeper and see what was out there, but when it came to the “Black Opinion”, I was hesitant. Seeing people like Willow being so carefree and nonchalant about it all, reminds me that I’m the one listening to this kind of music, and that’s the best part of it because who doesn’t love the idea of being inclusive?
