It could be that her lyrics feel real without being hopeless, or that her music is upbeat while also remaining soothing. Not that there needs to be a reason, she’s an amazing artist, but I’m not sure what to make of the fact that every time I’m feeling ~ musical ~ I ask Alexa to just play anything by her. I am reminded of the play by Tori Sampson that references Beyoncé’s song “Pretty Hurts,” titled “If Pretty Hurts Than Ugly Must Be a -.I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I’ve been listening to SO much India Arie lately. Maybe paradoxically the “love yourself” pop songs convey the idea that even though beauty is inside, we will get ahead if we pay the price to achieve external beauty standards. It’s like if Elon Musk looked us in the eye and said, “Wealth is measured by what you have inside, you are rich just as you are!” we would not take him seriously. On the other hand, it’s more likely that these songs don’t convince anyone. I love how Jill Scott, a full-bodied black R&B artist pokes fun at the conflation of talent with sex-appeal in her song “You Got Me” with the roots.Īin’t it funny, I got on all my clothes and I can still sing!īut maybe I am wrong, maybe unless pretty girls say beauty is inside, we won’t believe it. Being sexy and beautiful is a must, especially for women, and these stars show this in their looks even if their lyrics are telling us listeners to ignore their beauty. she is still a knockout! It is difficult to sing about the unimportance of beauty when it is often a requisite for “talent” in the cut-throat pop music industry. You just have to get up, you don’t have to change a single thing (Caillat, 2014).Īnd by the end of the video, she removes her make-up and fake eye-lashes, and… wait for it. You don’t have to try so hard you don’t have to bend until you break. In the music video “Try” by Colbie Caillat, women and girls of various beauty standards remove their make-up while Caillat sings, You don’t have to change, the world can change its heart (Cara, 2016).Ĭlips of an overweight woman, an Albino woman, a girl with no eyebrows or hair give mini interviews of social strife experienced due to lack of perceived attractiveness while slim and pretty Alessia beseeches us to forget about looks. You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are. In the music video for “Scars to Your Beautiful,” Alessia Cara tells us, Meanwhile the people in her music video struggle with body image issues. You are beautiful in every single way (Aguilera, 2002)! You are beautiful no matter that they say!
INDIA ARIE SONGS ABOUT BEAUTY SKIN
A trim and attractive Christina Aguilera with long blond hair, blue eyes and skin smooth as butter reminds us, To which the pop world would respond, “Well, that is because you are lovely!” with her long blond hair, and piercing blue eyes. I feel lovely just the way that I am (Haze, 2010). So, let’s look at some singers who preach this “love yourself” stuff who do fall into traditional beauty standards. I learn to love myself unconditionally because I am a queen (Arie, 2001)! She had long natural dreads, dark skin, and broad African features. I loved that song! Also, India Arie was herself a person who would not be considered beautiful by pop culture standards. “Pop culture is finally ready to change!” This song didn’t give apologetic platitudes to the tune of “You are beautiful because I said so,” it was talking about beauty in art, giving thanks for your uniqueness, acknowledging beauty myths and choosing to ignore them. The first time I heard India Arie’s song “Video,” I remember exactly where I was, driving through the farm-lands in rural Massachusetts on a summer’s day, and when the first line came on the radio I literally shrieked for joy! “This was it!” I thought. But when traditionally beautiful people say beauty doesn’t matter, how seriously can we take them? Slowly, advertising is expanding the beauty norm, but generally speaking, pop culture has not strayed far from it. Some people theorize that in the Western world being white alone exemplifies beauty (Donella, 2019). I won’t go into an analysis of how beauty standards have developed, but being thin, white, young, wealthy and able-bodied translates to being beautiful. Today, beauty is most often defined as particular physical traits ascribed to societal norms. Who defines beauty, anyway? The Ancient Greeks believed that one could only perceive beauty through the mind, and that beauty forms the base of knowledge and beingness.