The idea of being "cancelled" really flourished sometime in 2014 after an episode of Love and Hip-Hop: New York aired, showing two cast members fighting and one using the phrase, "you're cancelled." From that point, the term spread throughout social media, used amongst friends in usual joking matters. Then, it evolved and was used towards celebrities in scandals. In today's society, cancel culture has become more present, but is it fair or actually just toxic?

With today's generation, people are so ready to jump on the hate bandwagon and attack others, digging up old tweets or pictures as evidence. They don't let the other party explain themselves or try to apologize. Granted, there are some people who will give a half hearted apology to save face, but then there are those who are genuinely sorry and have turned over a new leaf. It seems that second chances and personal growth doesn't exist anymore.

However, cancel culture doesn't always stick. A celebrity will do something wrong or something they did in the past is uncovered and people will say they should be cancelled, starting a hashtag. Depending on what was found, everything can blow over within the week. Trends are short and die easily.

So, when a singer is caught in a scandal, is it time to completely drop them and stop listening to their music or can we still appreciate their songs and not like them as a person? It depends on your own beliefs and what the singer did. Here are three artists who have been cancelled, the degree of their crime varying, and wether it is still acceptable to listen to their music.

There's no clear answer to this question and may seem controversial. Sharing your opinion about music from cancelled artists could be dangerous and then you could get dragged into the storm of hate. It feels like you are committing a crime by listening to these old songs. The songs are somewhat tainted and you have to hide the fact that you still enjoy them.