A presentation of the controversies that were generated in the music area.
Controversies Generated in music
Music is a way of telling a story without, well, telling the story. Whether it be the lyrics (which is most common), or the instruments used in the song - there is a certain vibe and set of emotions that the artist wants the listeners to experience while listening to the song.
Nowadays, an artist can sing anything. However, there are still a few controversies in some artist's lyrics. For example: Robin Thicke's, Blurred Lines has started a controversial argument because it contains
'Rape-y' lyrics. Although, radio stations still play the song. This is different from past culture. As shown in the image above (bottom right), the Rolling Stones had to change some of the lyrics in their performance because they were 'too risqué'. If Robin Thicke was asked to perform his song today, none of the lyrics would be changed, and certainly if the Rolling Stones performed Let's Spend The Night Together, there wouldn't even be a second glance at the performance, because today, those lyrics wouldn't seem inappropriate.
Another contrast with today's society; using Eminem as an example, he swears constantly in many of his songs. The rapper has caused disputes about his lyrics, however he can still perform them the way they are and many radio stations play his songs as well. It was the late 1960s when artists started writing curse words in their lyrics, and these songs had to be changed to be played on the radio, and don't get me wrong - that still happens today; however, more and more artists swear in their songs today and censorship isn't happening as often as it was about 20 or so years ago.
Given the history, it’s no surprise that the current state of music in Australia is characterised by diversity, adaptability and innovation. Artists operate free of the constraints of genre, instrumentation or technique. While it is possible to identify trends within current practices, the demonstrated ability of experimental artists to mix the genres, to make connections between genres and techniques, it means that these distinctions can serve as guidelines only for the future of music.
Nowadays, an artist can sing anything. However, there are still a few controversies in some artist's lyrics. For example: Robin Thicke's, Blurred Lines has started a controversial argument because it contains
'Rape-y' lyrics. Although, radio stations still play the song. This is different from past culture. As shown in the image above (bottom right), the Rolling Stones had to change some of the lyrics in their performance because they were 'too risqué'. If Robin Thicke was asked to perform his song today, none of the lyrics would be changed, and certainly if the Rolling Stones performed Let's Spend The Night Together, there wouldn't even be a second glance at the performance, because today, those lyrics wouldn't seem inappropriate.
Another contrast with today's society; using Eminem as an example, he swears constantly in many of his songs. The rapper has caused disputes about his lyrics, however he can still perform them the way they are and many radio stations play his songs as well. It was the late 1960s when artists started writing curse words in their lyrics, and these songs had to be changed to be played on the radio, and don't get me wrong - that still happens today; however, more and more artists swear in their songs today and censorship isn't happening as often as it was about 20 or so years ago.
Given the history, it’s no surprise that the current state of music in Australia is characterised by diversity, adaptability and innovation. Artists operate free of the constraints of genre, instrumentation or technique. While it is possible to identify trends within current practices, the demonstrated ability of experimental artists to mix the genres, to make connections between genres and techniques, it means that these distinctions can serve as guidelines only for the future of music.