As a fan, there’s no stranger feeling than being let down by or disagreeing with an artist you enjoy. The dissonance felt when listening to and enjoying these artists creates an environment made for negativity. The ability to write a quick tweet or comment at an artist who, say, dumped a bottle of Grey Goose on another artist during a show, facilitates these bad attitudes. Social media is renowned for its trolling pessimism, and the rate at which that negativity spreads continues to multiply daily.
So, why do some artists speak out? Why take the risk of alienating those who support your career with personal thoughts and opinions that could easily be kept under wraps? Do we even want to know their opinions, or would we rather just enjoy their music with no strings attached?
What do you want from artists, like Hardwell?
When answering these questions, the PR-centric artists mentioned before seem to have it figured out. No fuss, no muss, no impact on the bottom line. But, there’s still a cost. There’s no shortage of negative news and feelings about the dance music community and culture, from kandi and drugs to big business’s role in dance music.
When PR-centric artists, who have the voice, platform, and audience to make a difference, stay silent, the discussion is then controlled by those outside the dance music community. It is in those situations you find news stations warning viewers about the dangers of the new drug ‘EDM’ and slanted reporting on festivals and shows geared toward fear tactics and ratings.
We need artists like Tommie Sunshine, Bassnectar, and Diplo. Artists who aren’t afraid to potentially lose fans, to speak up and raise awareness on topics that are important to the dance music community. We may not agree with all of their opinions, but at least those within the dance music culture would be controlling the discussion. We need to work toward the ultimate goal of positive changes. Our EDM scene may be strong, but it is still young, and it still has the capacity to be harmed if not properly defended. The artists speaking out loudly for dance music are our first line of defense.
Without these artists, the discussion has started and ended, and we’re all just a bunch of drug crazed millenials raving to computer music. Let us know what you think about artists speaking out and what you want from your favorite artists. Comment below, on Facebook, or reply on Twitter!
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