Music Industry’s Influence on Politics

“Governments can take kids away from their parents, but can’t take guns away from kids.”

    The above tagline was used in the video description for Black Eyed Peas’ recent music video, Big Love. It encompasses how gun crime is increasing and encourages viewers to “speak up for those who can’t”. The music video includes a disclaimer for viewer discretion seeing as the emotional intensity is quite overwhelming as it has been shot at universal locations such as a high school locker room, a science laboratory, gymnasium, courtyard and shows the shooters coming in from the perspective of the attending students. Black Eyed Peas have stated in their website with the same name, that “we have been blessed with art and influence as our tools; join us to create change.” The website also allows users to donate to organizations such as March for Our Lives which is fighting “for stricter gun laws” and Families Belong Together which is taking action to help children separated from their families at the U.S. border.
   The annual number of gun crime deaths has increased to 250,000 in 2016 compared to 209,000 in 1990. In the United States alone, that number has increased by 1,400 more deaths annually in the span of 26 years. More people die from gun crime than military conflicts and terrorist attacks combined. The shootings most often occur amongst in high school, university or nightclub settings along with the accidental ‘family fire’ shootings phenomenon. By May 2018, there had already been 18 shootings in the United States. Furthermore, it is estimated that 8 children die from accidents from using guns stored at their homes.
 Black Eyed Peas have been known to have political and global meaning behind their songs as they have previously done in Where Is The Love? What makes this music video more powerful than a political campaign stating that the public should take actionto solve the issue, is the lyrics saying “all that we have / all that we’re made of / is big, big love”. This makes the listeners acknowledge the positivity that already exists in their lives and encourages that we nourish it rather than focus our energy on shunning

current political leaders and their methods.
   Their creative choice of having 3 singers portrayed as the source of ‘good’ seeing as will.i.am. played a school teacher that had been shot himself but still helps another injured student; Taboo played a gym coach that asks the shooter to “please stand by” and thus, gets shot first. Ap.de.ap plays a police officer that intervenes the school shooting and delivers the lyric “nothing’s ever over, we believe in second chances” to the teen shooter. This makes the song so much more powerful seeing as it directly addresses viewers that may have committed similar crimes in the past or plan to do so.
  Musicians have begun using their social media accounts as a platform to voice their thoughts and encourage their followers of all ages and races to become responsible citizens. This is crucial especially in this day and age where crimes are at their peak and thus, even something recreative such as listening to music should be used to urge the public to become part of positive

change. Even going around humming the catchy and repetitive chorus “all we have and all that we’re made of is big, big love” is a step towards
realizing that there is positivity in the world, we just have to nurture it.
Here is a link to the video if you want to check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPmcLzgnlo8
Post by: Vanshika Khanna
Posted in Blog.