In Emily White's, "The Great Indie Debate" discussed the concept of "selling out" and what it means to remain truly "indie" in our industry. The home of many riot grrrl-style bands, Kill Rock Stars warned about the consequences of selling out. In their case, they heavily believed that "fame was a way you lost control and power" (White, 478). How do we tell if that is true or not? What happens to the quality of music of someone who sold out and made music for the millions? In my own experience of singers who transitioned to a more "popular" sound, have decreased their quality in lyricism and uniqueness. In some cases, they do make catchy songs, but for the most part, their music doesn't have the same effect on me. Moreover, Nguyen makes an excellent point when she clarified that, "When I saw 'whitestraightboy,' I want to invoke how the category is socially constructed with all kinds of privileges attached" (Nguyen). Nguyen discusses how punk is seen as people who have been through adversity, such as minorities, while white people are searching for themselves. So many things nowadays are catered and altered for white people, specifically white men. I don't believe that there should be any leeway whatsoever in making any space "more" comfortable for white men. If they would like to discover their self-identity, it should only be on their own terms as they are owed absolutely nothing. For my two songs, I chose an artist that I believe "sold out" to become more popular. I thoroughly enjoyed Drake's music from 10 years ago, as I believed it came out of true authenticity. His music now is extremely repetitive and made to please the crowds and follow the hype. Yes, I still listen to some Drake "bops" from time to time, but it's just nothing lyrically like what it used to be.
Drake 10 years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP6ps5CxgVk
Drake now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWggTb45brM
Real name: Johnny Le
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