Ricky Collins

These days, it’s hard to walk into a group of people and not meet someone who has opinions on what’s considered ‘bad’ music. While that may be subjective, it’s not nearly as subjective that some artists are just bad people.
The music industry, as with any other groups of celebrities, is fraught with bad eggs. Some of the top streamed artists on Spotify, the most popular music streaming app, are people with a history of racism and antisemitism (not to mention poor apologies, according to the affected groups). There’s also continued emission of unnecessary amounts of Co2, and a host of other problems.
Other artists have been accused of sexual assault and other mistreatment of fans. Like any other group of celebrities, the space is filled with people whose actions you probably don’t agree with.
Initially, listening to such artists may seem to have little impact, but there are some things to consider when you choose to click play. For starters, artists are paid for each stream, albeit very little, only a fraction of a cent. However, this adds up when you consider some of them have racked up several millions of streams on Spotify alone.
At first thought, finances may seem like the most important part, but the other side of every stream is the platform, and not just how they put out their music. By listening to an artist, you give them leeway in your life, your time, and most importantly, your head. Attention and verbal support are powerful weapons in a time of constantly active and available social media.
Some artists have groups of supporters who large and devoted enough (think ‘Swifties,’ the fanbase for Taylor Swift) to be able to affect the economy of concert cities. These fans can become almost blinded in an echo room and forget to think about the sometimes very real criticism they should have for an artist. Without criticism, people are free to continue their actions and it acts as an endorsement by lack of protest.
While it may not be possible to single-handedly prevent public figures from doing bad things, it is possible to take away from someone’s sway, little by little. After all, America is a democracy, founded on the wants of the people. If people work together toward a cause, they have real power and can push for change.
So, at the end of the day, remember: your personal actions can make things better for a whole group of people, or even the entire world, by decreasing the effect artists have. All it takes is a skip.