GWSS Blog Post 3

Candace Chang

The book “The Final Chorus” opens with the quote, “For African Americans life is not an open book but a talking one… something homemade yet public; fragile and formidable; personal yet meant to be heard; loud as hell yet clandestine” (311). And this is very applicable to this week’s discussion of protest music, specifically with Beyonce’s work Lemonade. The album allows a glimpse into Beyonce’s identity as a black woman, a mother, a wife, and a celebrity in a very honest and vulnerable way. It’s both personal and political, often exploring the relationship between the two. In this sense, Lemonade exemplifies the duality and vulnerability that Young claims are present in African American music. Further, the album pushes the boundaries of societal expectations. Where women, especially black women, are discouraged from openly discussing things like sexuality, anger, and politics, Beyonce bravely embraces these topics. This relates to NPR’s discussion of Lemonade claiming with this album, Beyonce did “not censor her existence. She made people uncomfortable.” Overall this reminds me of previous discussions on hip hop feminism, and the way Beyonce embodies it. She openly celebrates black culture while also honestly showing sides of her that are not necessarily expected by society. This is very clearly seen in Lemonade, where Beyonce highlights tradition while reconfiguring stereotypical understandings of what it means to be a black woman. While some may have expected or hoped for a “public friendly” or easily digestible Beyonce, with Lemonade she demonstrated that she has a bigger message to share. In the words of Young, this was a way for her to, like other protest artists, “upend the status quo, shatter the glass… saving the scraps of things to stitch together something altogether more powerful” (312).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIlauccaH88
The first song I want to share is Charcoal Baby by Blood Orange. This song relates to the theme of vulnerability and honesty within protest music. Charcoal baby explores personal pain and its relationship with black identity. Although not explicit, we can see how the political impacts the personal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XojM2D3F-Dc
The second song I want to share is STFU by Rina Sawayama. This song expresses her personal rage at the stereotypes and fetishization Asian women face. This goes along with the theme of making people uncomfortable and upending the status quo. Rina asks “why don’t you expect me to get mad when I’m angry?” She challenges the expectations of Asian women and the stereotype of being passive.