When we’re young, we don’t understand half of what we listen to, or what we repeat. There are so many songs from my childhood that I look back on and question the logic of any adult for letting me listen to it. Between the rampant sexism, violence and glorification of drugs, the music I listened to and loved has little to no merits. Even though I am able to condemn the music now, I can’t help but get really excited about the song playing in a store.
Songs with terrible messages are everywhere and widely beloved. For a long time, I thought that I was the only one who felt pulled every time these songs come on, but apparently, I’m not. I want to become a better feminist and a person who sticks to their values, but is that possible when I love music that neither reflects nor represents who I am?
I loved One Direction. I still love One Direction, but songs like “I Want” (2012) perpetuate the image of the materialistic woman who only likes a man for what he can give her. Besides generalizing large groups of women, the song continues to play into sexist stereotypes of female villainization and greed. I decided to attend a women’s college so that I could fight those demeaning stereotypes, which put women into boxes. By listening to these songs, I thought I was failing at being the good feminist and strong woman I came to college to become. A “good” feminist would stop listening to such demeaning songs, but for some reason, I can’t.
I will admit that I keep listening to these songs because they have the strong beat and catchy tune that makes bubblegum pop so delectable. While they are not even close to Mozart in composition, they’re easy to follow and enjoy.
The main reason I go back to these songs is because of nostalgia. There are so many memories that revolve around these songs, and not listening to them feels like I’m cutting a piece of myself out. They hold my childhood memories and so many emotions that do not apply to the intended meaning. While they go against my morals, I have come to terms with the fact that it is okay to love the songs from my past, even though they have terrible messages.
A major part of my feminism is pointing out blatant and subtle sexism. I think that should apply to this type of music. Childhood memories aside, we cannot be blind to the true meanings of these songs. Taylor Swift’s bop and a half “Better Than Revenge” (2010) has a great beat, but the slut shaming in the song is unjustified. To make progress in our society, we must reconcile memories with reality to form a more fluid narrative, one in which we are able to see the truth.
You can love a song that doesn’t have a good message. Love it loudly and with all your heart, but don’t do it blindly.