Sir… Varun, please take a seat.
The writer did not caution against enjoying the video but merely not being a voice of it or it’s colloquialisms because culturally many don’t identify with the stories that are told in music like this. It’s cool and sounds good, that’s the only thing universal about it. Music about poverty isn’t universal because everyone doesn’t experience poverty, and pimping, and rape, and drug abuse and growing up in segregated south and have resources restricted in a state of emergency because your skin doesn’t matter to people who don’t share the hue. Yes people who don’t identify can sing along but they don’t share the experience and sometimes that needs to be respected and admired. She’s saying just support it.
It’s easy for non whites/non blacks to say color doesn’t matter to them because their quality of life, be it by race or fianancial privilege, is not restricted by it. Don’t tell people how to feel about being colored or non colored if you don’t share their experience.
You do understand that Formation is in response to the social construct you speak of, no? You do understand that while color shouldn’t matter, it does? People don’t choose color, it is thrust upon them by society. Remember social construct. I am relegated to a color by white ancestry and the social prvileges that prevail beyond that time long ago. Music is relegated to certain races in many ways by cultural association because: awards shows, billboards and the history of them, the numbers on Youtube, and streaming services. If it was just about music being universal then black artists would be as popular as their white counterparts on all fronts. If it was just about music being universal then there would have been no segregation on stages, in concerts and back stage. If it were about music being universal then you would have no reason to have written what you wrote because white commentary on black experience wouldn’t be exactly what it is, the outside looking in.
Bruh black stories ain’t universal. If they were then race wouldn’t matter and Beyonce would not have made that powerful message of Formation. Our music is written in our colloquial language that we understand and others interpret and culture vultures steal as their own.
Yes it is patronizing for my non black counterparts to sing along to our songs, know our sayings and chants but they are not there nor do they bare the struggle of the experiences that create those beautiful songs. So yes please sit back and enjoy the show.
