Recently, there has been a debate surrounding the question: Should musicians censor their lyrics? In their latest issue (Issue 323), Alternative Press released the results and comments of a poll involving a similar question: Should artists be accountable for their lyrics? The results of that poll were 57% said yes and 43% said no.
As a musician and a lyricist, the question of censoring my lyrics or a musician censoring any lyrics is a prominent and important one. Personally, I don't think musicians should censor their lyrics to please any single person. However, I do believe that musicians should take responsibility for what they have to say. If a musician writes something, records it, and performs it, they should be more than willing to stand by what they have written. This is especially true if they want their fans and listeners to do something specific, like a call to action.
I think censoring music takes away everything music is meant for. Music is meant to provoke something in people, it's meant to make you feel. Censoring the words or even the sounds of the guitars and drums to make it more pleasing to a wider audience makes the music lose that edge, and it then loses the whole effect.
Anyway, it's impossible to please everyone. Just try to please yourself.
What are your thoughts on music censorship? Leave your comments below!
