This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Amna Faheem. Find her on Instagram at @amnaf.aheem. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Music artists often find themselves in hot water and under extreme scrutiny for their lives outside the studio. The actions they take and activities they take part in, the behavior they conduct themselves with, the words they say all come back to haunt them when it comes to light. The question is, after reading about all their misconduct and seeing who they are as a person and not just as a rapper or singer, can you separate their art from who they are? Can you separate the art from the artist? Is there a line in the sand that, if they cross it, is when things get too severe and anything behind that line is permissible?
The idea of separating the art from the artist is being able to form an independent judgment and appreciation for the song or artistic creation away from your outlook of the creator. Sometimes, this detachment is beneficial, allowing audiences to enjoy works genuinely and not be influenced by the individual that produced them. However, other times, it absolves problematic artists from the consequences of their actions and wrongdoings. The argument could be made that the continuation of listening to or consuming their creations is indirectly supporting them and allowing them to carry on with their errors.
The Intro
Musicians are not always seen as the creators of their music but as a product of their art. Famous singers are not associated with the end result of their albums or singles but are applauded for their genius and ability to produce such mind-blowing creations. Adele released ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ in 2011, and at the time, her name was not circulating in the media as fiercely as the song was. Her release of ‘Hello’ in 2015 shot her up even more, with the song becoming included in funny videos and ringtones. ‘Hello’ was not connected to Adele as much as it was seen as a stand-alone creation; Adele was not the song but simply just the parent of it. Listeners sometimes didn’t even know who she was, just that the song was catchy and the lyrics were emotional.
No one cared as much for the singer as they did the song. And that’s not necessarily a negative aspect. But it isn’t always a positive one, either.
Chris Brown, recognized for his abusive behavior towards Rihanna in 2009 and many other women, has several popular songs. In 2011, Brown collaborated with Pitbull on the song ‘International Love,’ which received over 600 million streams on Spotify and 64 million views on YouTube. In 2018, the artist was sued for assault by a woman.
Following that, in 2022, he released the song ‘Superhero (Heroes & Villains)’ alongside Future and Metro Boomin. The song received 8.1 million views on YouTube and over 800 million Spotify streams.
Brown has had a very tumultuous past, and yet, his fanbase, which is primarily women, seems to overlook this feature of his existence and exclude it from their perception of him as a musician. This disconnect between man and art gives the impression that while he is deemed a terrible person outside of the recording studio, it will not impact his production or change how people see him musically.
So, when asking the question “Can you separate the art from the artist?” the answer is yes. But you shouldn’t always.
The Chorus
This notion of separation between individuals and their art is not recent. We witnessed it in the court case for YNW Melly, in which prosecutors used his lyrics like ‘Murder on my Mind’ to build a case against the rapper. But it doesn’t start from there.
In 1993, Michael Jackson was accused of misconduct towards children. The King of Pop’s reputation took a dive, and his status as a significant artist and someone who influenced the industry greatly began to sway; People started to question his merit as a person and cease playing his music following these allegations. While this court case wasn’t the birth of the question, it certainly brought to the forefront what many began to ask. Can you properly separate the art from the artist?
Following this discovery, the masses took sides. Many made the argument that his music is not him- listening to ‘Billie Jean,’ or ‘Smooth Criminal,’ has no connection to him as a person. But others stood steadfast in their disapproval, stating that listening to music created by someone with accusations against them like Jackson’s is indirectly supporting that type of behavior.
The same argument was made for R. Kelly, who, following his sentencing in 2021 and turbulent trial prior, was put on the blacklist for many. The severity of his crimes was too much to accept, and the once loyal listener turned their back on the pop star. The line in the sand was crossed. The separation was no longer possible.
The Outro
So, it seems that you can separate the art from the artist within certain parameters. But also, it is on a case-to-case basis. Chris Brown’s music was still being consumed amidst his legal troubles and accusations. But R. Kelly was discarded once the world was enlightened to what he was doing behind closed doors. Is there an actual guideline or rulebook on what is tolerable and what’s not? How do we decide what we let slide and what we hold musicians accountable for?
Within the past few days, after the Grammys, Kanye ‘Ye’ West has been going on a tirade on social media. This is not new for him, and many fans are familiar with these occasional outbursts but always defend him, citing his lyrical genius as an excuse for his behavior.
Kanye has one of the best discographies in the industry, with many of his songs receiving high praise from both listeners and producers. His work in the studios is commended, and his fans look at him with the utmost admiration. However, it seems that the more and more these public meltdowns occur, the more his fanbase finds it difficult to defend the artist. His current onslaught of controversial social media posts seems to have been the last straw for many who have been with him since the beginning. For others, it seems that despite this irrational behavior, they are holding onto the artist and not quite accepting him as a person or including that in their assessment of his creations. The separation between ‘Kanye,’ the musician, and ‘Ye,’ the person we’re seeing online, is dividing the masses.
Encore?
The question ‘Can we separate the art from the artist?’ does not have a clear answer. Yes you can, but it’s difficult to make a definitive decision that applies to every artist in every scenario.
Does listening to ‘Devil in a New Dress’ by Kanye then express support for his erratic behavior? In boycotting R. Kelly, are we sending a message and penalizing him as a person for his crimes? Do our actions really hold any weight in an industry as large as the music industry? It’s easy to conflate the art a person creates with the person themselves. However, does the music someone makes, like YNW Melly, represent them as a person, or is it how they act outside of those creations that determines their true essence? Does listening to Adele’s ‘Hello’ without connecting it to the artist deny her the credit she deserves? Or is it just a simple enjoyment of music. Maybe allowing the artist to influence how we consume their work takes away from the significance of their creations. Or maybe linking both of them is necessary to truly appreciating their art.
Do you believe you can separate the art from the artist? Let us know in the comments below!
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