I really don't want to listen to R. Kelly ever again.
It's a shame really. As a lifelong Chicagoan, we have always been kind of fond of R. Kelly here. My husband and I even entered our wedding reception to "Remix to Ignition" and I certainly don't regret that. But the most recent sex cult allegations are just more than I can handle, especially after all the other times he was accused of having sex with underage girls. And there was his disgusting response to his transgender son, telling reporters not to refer to "her" as his son. As a person, he just grosses me out, and I can't separate the music from it any longer.
I am not suggesting that everyone drops R. Kelly. It's really not my business what you like or don't like, and I really don't want to make a point about how famous men can get away with a whole lot without it damaging their careers because that's a different subject for another day. What I do wonder is where is the line? When does a musician's personal life start coloring how people feel about their music? I also think the reverse can be true. I try not to let it happen, but an artist's music can change how I feel about them as a person.
Liking or disliking a musician on a personal level based on their music is really a ridiculous concept when you think about it. You don't know that person. You will probably never know the motivation behind the song. Of course music can be deeply meaningful to you, separate from whatever the intention was. Great music can make you feel understood, and that's important. But it is a bit of an illusion. My favorite band Brand New, a group with a bit of a cult following and really rich lyrics, even addresses this in a song, saying, "I am not your friend. I am just a man who knows how to feel." I think this speaks to the connections people make with musicians.
I was a pretty emo teenager, so I'm not stranger to this kind of hero worship of musicians, but I think the feeling of changing how I feel about an artist's music is rarer. I've already written on Taylor Swift recently and don't really want to give her more air time, but I will say I was a fan of Taylor 1.0 and her public persona made me entirely stop listening to her, and I know I'm not unique in this. On the flip side, I loathed Justin Bieber for years because of how he acted only to come around to his newer stuff recently. I have to admit it's damn catchy!
Music is inherently subjective. You can choose to overlook a musician's personal defects, and if you think this sounds judgmental of me, what's good music without some strife? I want to see people learn from their mistakes over time, which is probably why Katy Perry is becoming problematic for me. However, I think in this case it's a combination of art and artist because while I do not like some of Katy Perry's recent comments on mental health, I also have to admit her new music has not particularly impressed me.
So ultimately, I think it's important to remember that musicians are flawed humans just like the rest of us. Idolizing someone doesn't make them better than they actually are. Music takes on an individual meaning to each of us, so no one else can dictate your personal moral code of when you stop listening to an artist. It is worth remembering that even celebrities can be held accountable for their actions, though.
