I am going to cut Raj Rudolph a small bit of slack because he has clearly been living under a rock in London and has not kept up with US music, does not read Billboard Magazine or pay any attention to music press.
BUT I have a very hard time taking seriously any music criticism written by someone who claims to be an indie music/underground music/LBGT-Queer music and writes this -- "Before the 2013 MTV VMAs, I had never even heard “Same Love” and never even received one press release about it. Just sayin."
Well perhaps he did not get a press release about it because it was an independent release and they affirmatively do not have a PR firm. It is the #7 song in the US, and has charted in at least 9 other countries. Of course, it is not getting any airplay in the UK -- but gay themed music rarely (never?) gets played on the BBC.Aside from a mention about the merits of "Outlaws of Love" which is always good, this article leaves me shaking my head -- and not in agreement. The core point is contained in this paragraph:
What difference does it make if Macklemore and Lewis are gay or not? They worked with Mary Lambert, an out lesbian, to create "Same Love" as part of the successful effort to legalized same-sex marriages in Washington State. Isn't that enough credibility.
And the song is about the attitudes of straight people as much as it is about same sex love. It is NOT a gay anthem. (see lyrics below.) It could probably be called a conscience awareness song.
**
This article is filled with trivial factual errors -- but one key point is not true, out gay artists have taken center stage on the VMAs and won. In fact, the first VMA in 1984, Best Male Video went to David Bowie for "China Girl". [Bowie was "out" having declared himself gay in an interview with Michael Watts in the 22 January 1972 issue of Melody Maker.] 2005 Green Day won Video of the year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". And Lady Gaga has not only owned the VMA stage a couple of times, she also won Video of the Year in 2010. MTV and it's associated cable program have supported LGBT artists for decades. This criticism is just unfair.
>> Is there any media company that has done more for Adam than Viacom (MTV/VH1/Logo)?
JMHO "gay advocates" who divide the world into little buckets of "legit gay" vs. other supporters of equality do little to forward equality.
And I am not sure why Lady Gaga counts as LGBT (she is open to a sexual relationship with a woman) but Mary Lambert (an out and outspoken lesbian) being featured and co-writing "Some Love" is somehow not legit enough. Go figure.
To me the big news was that it took an independent artist, with a grassroots campaign, to breakthrough the big label/corporate radio fear of anything gay themed that is not a "party song". It is not that the labels are homophobic, the are afraid that no one will buy gay themed music.
>> I think this is a very important song. And, if you read the lyrics, the song is about discovering one's sexual identity and social/political acceptance. There are two inter-twined themes, Macklemore relays the story of being in the third grade and dealing with his sexual awakening/identity and the political context of being gay in America and Mary Lambert relays the emotional POV of an out lesbian and love. Full lyrics here:
www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/macklemore/samelove.htmlAmerica the brave still fears what we don't know
And God loves all his children, is somehow forgotten
But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago
I don't knowThen Mary Lambert sings here part about being a lesbian and it not being a choice.
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warmMacklemore returns to take on the hate in digital space and within the hip-hop community and fans -- directly. And to directly talk about marriage equality:
If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me
Have you read the YouTube comments lately?
"Man, that's gay" gets dropped on the daily
We become so numb to what we're saying
A culture founded from oppression
Yet we don't have acceptance for 'em
Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board
A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it
Gay is synonymous with the lesser
It's the same hate that's caused wars from religion
Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment
The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins
It's human rights for everybody, there is no difference!
Live on and be yourself
When I was at church they taught me something else
If you preach hate at the service those words aren't anointed
That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned
When everyone else is more comfortable remaining voiceless
Rather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolen
I might not be the same, but that's not important
No freedom till we're equal, damn right I support itWe press play, don't press pause
Progress, march on
With the veil over our eyes
We turn our back on the cause
Till the day that my uncles can be united by law
When kids are walking 'round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart
A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are
And a certificate on paper isn't gonna solve it all
But it's a damn good place to start
No law is gonna change us
We have to change us
Whatever God you believe in
We come from the same one
Strip away the fear
Underneath it's all the same love
About time that we raised up... sexIt closes with Mary Lambert's section:
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
Love is patient
Love is kind
Love is patient
Love is kind
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I'm not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I'm not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I'm not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
Love is kind
Since it is the 50th anniversary of the March on "Washington for Jobs and Freedom" and the real mass effort to push for racial equality in the US, this discussion reminded me of the music debate surrounding that movement.
The criticism of white singers participating in this event was really misplaced because these artists did a lot to make this an American movement -- not a black movement. (about 20% of the people who were at the MOW were white -- and that was in 1963 on an event organized primarily by black churches.)
There are parallels for the gay rights movement -- IMO the only way to achieve full LGBT equality in the US is with broad support from "straight" Americans. And maybe someday we can just drop all these labels and just be people.
Back to this article and the song, "Some Love". Read the lyrics. Read the purpose and history of this song. Then tell me that this song being recognized by the VMAs was somehow a slight to gay artists.
Finally, I think one of the best things about the VMAs was that Adam (one of the most prominent gay artists and personalities in the US) was not put in the "gay ghetto" of giving out the award to Macklemore but was there as a singer and personality, NOT as a gay celeb. Isn't that what he wanted in the first place? To be a performer who was gay, not a gay performer?
ETA: Sorry for the long, contrarian post!!
