Accountability in Music • Page 414

I mean, he literally just gave an interview where he said that he's not actually trying to make specific political statements with his songs, using that exact song as an example, so like come on man you can't have it both ways:

The 1975’s Matty Healy on 9 Things That Inspired New Album Notes on a Conditional Form

I get this answer was intended as a means for him to squirrel his way out of getting called out for namedropping Pinegrove in one of his songs, but still. Either the songs mean what you say they mean or they don't.

 

and for what it's worth I deleted my post in the NOACF thread because I don't want to get into this with people who honestly have blinders on, but he's shown us repeatedly who he is and the cowardice involved in deleting his account after tweeting something like that is fucking STAGGERING. Your post tracks with that.

 

Yeah there's no point in getting into it in that thread.

 

I mean, I’d argue that’s a blanket statement he made about LIIWMI that works for *most of it* but that the lines “selling melanin and then suffocate the black men, start with misdemeanors then we’ll make a business out of them” coupled with the clips of police brutality (specifically, the Garner “I Can’t Breathe” clip, which is insanely relevant given Floyd is known to have said the same before he was killed) ARE actually a statement. if he was truly trying to be neutral I don’t think he’d have framed it as such.

 

you can @ me instead of liking my posts if you wanna talk about “blinders” or whatever

 

no one is currently calling him out for this. they are calling him out for posting the song

 

everyone should delete their twitter account i fucking encourage it

 

I was responding to the idea that it was actually not a big deal for him to post the song because the song was a political statement itself.

 

also, the same 5 ppl seem to be the ones constantly dragging matty here so maybe y’all have some “blinders” on too lmao. we all have a different lens with which we view stuff and me being a fan and me disagreeing with this takedown are not necessarily informing one another. I genuinely just don’t think this, or most of the shit he’s been called out for, is warranted and I think it’s a ludicrous use of this thread.


EDIT: there have, indeed, been circumstances where I felt matty should apologize for something he’s said or done, and every single time that I can think of that it’s actually mattered, he’s done it.

 

yeah but like... who cares? that song obviously has a pov on that particular line, matty's tweet was reinforcing that

for the record matty is an absolute shithead about religion, calling him out over that is completely fair to me, this particular situation is just bullshit

 

I'm just saying that I get where people might think it's kind of disingenuous of him to post one of his own songs attached to a statement about BLM. I don't think the dude should be run out of town over this, clumsy as it might have been for him to do.

 

idk who hears that song and thinks it's not a political statement lol

 

"People often think I’m expressing my opinion on things with my lyrics, but I’m really just asking questions and pointing toward things. I’m never hectoring or saying, “This guy’s a fucking dick.” I never even demonized Trump on “Love It If We Made It” I just quoted what he said, and it became this violent attack."

I used to think the song was a political statement, but then I read this quote and now idk lol

 

That's fine. I'm just once again disappointed as someone who used to be a fan and thought it merited mentioning in this thread. I was speaking in generalities. Like you say, we all have a different lens with which we view stuff and I wasn't thinking of you in particular when I made that comment. Apologies if it came across that way as it wasn't my intention!

 

??? Seems like you just don't understand the quote honestly, where in that does it say it's not political? He's literally says he's pointing towards (very clearly political) things while not bashing people he disagrees with.

 

the part where he says nothing in his lyrics generally reflects his own opinion

 

I think it's okay to respect the statement made in LIIWMI and think it's clumsy to link your own song in that kind of post, ya know? I get why he did it, the song is relevant, but I also think it's a weird look.

 

retitle this thread clumsiness in music

 

It's fair to discuss when an artist makes a misstep like this because, good-intentioned or not, it's something they should be checked about and it should create a teachable moment for them. That's what "accountability" is all about. He made a post that came across as disingenuous at best and "making a tweet supposedly in solidarity with BLM actually about himself" at worst. I get that wasn't his intention but he should learn from it and move on. Not separate the song from the tweet, hit send again, and then delete his twitter account.

 

"selling melanin and then, suffocate the black men, start with misdemeanors and we'll make a business out of them."

is an indictment of systemic racism, and the tendency for white artists and culture to profit from the expropriation of black music and culture. that's a political opinion. Matty not being willing to stand behind his own statements is the problem. Makes it clear he only wants to be an ally when it is convenient for him. Like - deleting his twitter account after receiving criticism... while standing on a platform constructed in part by his use of black culture/music.

 

it *was* clumsy, but it’s okay to be clumsy imo and it doesn’t need to be treated with this kind of ferocity, especially since every attempt he’s made to course correct has been met with, basically “this isn’t good enough” or “nice try trying to deflect” or “thanks for doing the bare minimum” (a legitimate reply to the insta post he made sharing a change.org petition re: Floyd/police brutality), and it’s just like... why wouldn’t you just want to disconnect entirely?

 

A part of accountability has to do with how those in a position of power answer to those who you are claiming to represent from your million dollar platform.

 

does that mean it's not political? If you put references to police brutality and private prisons in your lyrics, and say your lyrics are pointing towards something, plus him literally tweeting the song with his opinion, I think it's a safe assumption that he is of the opinion that those are terrible things we need to change. I think it's more of a matter of Matty being bad at answering the question lol

 

in his position i'd disconnect from it all too

 

It means he considers his songs like the news, I guess. Stating facts and asking questions without editorializing.