I have a bit of a quirk about me, in that I tend to obsess over music. I have the tendency to find or create a playlist I like and just listen to it endlessly. It takes a while for me to want to change my musical line up, and after hearing the “top” options, I am quite disappointed.

My musical taste is almost all over the place, but I lean towards popular music; it’s easier to find and you know other people will recognize it. So, I checked out the top 50 songs on Spotify and played it on shuffle.

I had to skip most of the songs.

You might think this was due to my personal taste in music, but I was enjoying the beats of the songs. My issue was with the lyrics. Just about every song I tried to listen to contained so many derogative terms that I couldn’t enjoy the rest of the music.

I don’t know why some artists feel that it’s necessary to include these terms; there is one particularly popular that I can’t even say or write without being called racist, regardless of the context. This being said, maybe artists and their audiences have forgotten what these terms mean, or more importantly, that they encourage.

When we refer to another person as a lesser noun, such as bitch, whore, or worse, we devalue them as a human being. We are bringing their identity down to a level that we think they deserve, commonly due to something we believe they did.

That’s messed up, to say the least. People may feel that the excuses, “that’s life” or “life’s not fair” can cover up this issue, but it can’t. This has gone further than a question of ignorance, it’s arrogance. The belief that we can say and do anything we want is a twisted idea that needs to stop. Even if in technicality, this is legal, it still isn’t respectful.

At some point in our lives we are taught that we should be respectful to others, and through this practice, we will be shown respect in return. This isn’t possible when we can’t even express ourselves without resorting to calling names as if we are children who don’t know better. Everyone needs to hold themselves more accountable for their actions and words.

I know that this is a bigger issue that can’t be solved by a single simple action, but that is how it can start. In your life, be more conscientious about how you express yourself and even what you listen to. Music is one of the most influential aspects of life, so artist s need to reevaluate what they create.

Is money more important than a person’s identity?

Stop calling people by these terms. Find a way to express yourself and your emotions through precise language and thought. An argument holds less impact if it is centered around the term idiots. A song holds less meaning if it continuously refers to people as bitches. And society can’t prosper if it doesn’t include respect.