Music artists have often used their platforms for political purposes. In the 1960s and 1970s particularly, folk, rock, and punk artists were very loud and proud with their advocacy.
Recently, social media and polarized political climates have made it difficult for artists to speak up about issues they care about while maintaining a loyal fan base. One issue is Cancel Culture, a phenomenon where large groups of people stop supporting a brand or person because they disagree with something. This has made celebrities very tentative to speak up, which is problematic because their large followings have so much potential to enact change.
One recent example of cancel culture were the Daisy Chain Fields abortion protesters. Olivia Rodrigo created a music festival that was feminist-centered, removing the danger that some women feel in these spaces. One of the key components was the donations to women-centered organizations, including Planned Parenthood. Some disagreed strongly with Rodrigo’s inclusion of Planned Parenthood and went as far as to make and post signs, including one sign that read, “Every baby deserves to get their Driver’s License one day. End Abortion.” In a space that was supposed to be positive and empowering to women, there was negativity, but Rodrigo continued her music festival because she felt it was important to do so.
A standout among my music taste for activism is Paris Paloma, and I have been a fan of hers for a while. She is a British musician who started writing music at 14. Her first single Narcissus was released in 2020 and her career has continued at an upward climb from there. When she released her song Labour, it became viral on social media as a feminist anthem, often used in videos about injustices relating to women, such as domestic violence and sexual assault. She initially attempted to appeal to the “girl and her guitar” stereotype, but since the release of her new album, The Fatal Flaw, she has integrated a more produced sound into her music.
Paloma is currently touring her new album, and I was able to attend her concert in Los Angeles at the Ford. I did not listen to the album enough before the concert, but listening to her music along with her messages made the experience truly amazing. There were occasional lengthy anecdotes before a few of the songs, such as Good Boy, a single that she dropped before the album came out. Good Boy is a call to end the patriarchal ways that women are put down and help people realize that this systematic oppression of women isn’t even working for the men it is supposed to benefit. She discussed how men are always commenting on her social media about the loneliness epidemic and men’s mental health, but she is confused because those are all results of the patriarchy. Paloma thinks that these men questioning her have more in common with her than the men they look up to.
One of her most consistent anecdotes she shares is about how people critique her body. Comments on her social media often criticize her body hair and shape; defining her attractiveness based on this. She made her song Good Girl for dancing, where, she explained, “everyone can dance and be in their bodies wholeheartedly for four minutes.” At the show this was a revolutionary feeling, with everyone dancing around no matter how they felt about themselves. Collective effervescence is a concept coined by Emile Durkheim. It occurs when a group of people come together and share the same energy, may it be harmony, unity, joy, or something else. Music concerts are a great example of this idea, and Paris Paloma concerts are filled with it. As a person with a curvier body type than some of my peers I look up to Paloma, especially the way she shows that everyone’s body is beautiful in a way that many performers attempt to address but cannot demonstrate on their own.
The anecdotes Paloma shared at the concert resonated heavily with her mostly female fanbase, who call themselves the fairies. However, the best part of the show was seeing all the men agreeing with her about her opinions. The ongoing show of support for Paloma and her ideas at her concerts makes me hopeful for a better future where everyone can belong.
