Source: Brian Rasic / Getty
Soul music birthed in the lungs of our ancestors in cotton fields and Southern churches has carried Black Americans as a people through tragedy and triumph.
While black musical soldiers have used their voices to inspire movements from We Shall Overcome in the 60s to Janelle Monae‘s modern day anthem The Hell You Talmbout, there have also been other cultures who have adapted this sound with heart, or in some cases, for profit.
With the explosion of Adele‘s most recent record topping hit, Hello, we collectively root for her and are drawn to the singer because she reminds us of something raw, familiar, and native within us. Hello made history when it became the first song to reach 1 million digital downloads in one week.
But what is it about Adele that allows her to break records that some of her talented black counterparts could never even dream of?
Part of it is history.
Stories of kidnapped voices branded with white names was common practice in the 60s. Darlene Love‘s voice was recorded and repurposed under Phil Spector’s direction as The Crytsals. There are countless other stories of black background singers who have been used to bolster the grit of popular music. David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Joe Crocker all employ black backup singers to bring edge and heart to rock music. This is not to say Adele isn’t individually talented, but we can’t neglect the history that has caused black voices to be hidden beneath white pop stars.
Part of it is promotion.
The trades adore Adele. She has graced the cover of notable publications such as Vogue and Billboard numerous times.The 25 vocalist has also won coveted industry recognition which includes her 10 Grammy’s, an Oscar and a Golden Globe.
While black voices remain niche and urban, Adele, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke and Sam Smith etc hit the global stage with fervor.
Part of it is commodification.
The world seems to respond to white artists with edge.
The Iggy effect sent many people through a musical tailspin once they discovered her accent was a farce hijacked from southern throats, and Macklemore received a lot of flack for winning a Grammy in a category that Kendrick Lamar lyrically dominated in.
For some reason, black voices in white bodies is more profitable.
We know it is silly to say that one race of people owns a particular sound, but we cannot dismiss the black historical origins of R&B, gospel, and hip hop.
Songstresses like Jill Scott and Ledisi may never see similar viral success that Adele claimed today.
At first, we attributed the disparity to charisma and star power. Justin Timberlake’s showmanship was something we had never seen in his vocal black counterparts in the early 2000s, like Tank, deliver.
But with this new wave of soul singers, subdued powerhouse singer Sam Smith and vulnerable Adele give the fans just the voice, and it has never limited their success.
Perhaps the record labels are to blame, or maybe its a lack of power behind their PR teams. Regardless, there seems to be a monopoly on who profits from the soulful sound, and it often cannot be attributed to a black artist.
What do you beauties think? Is the world more apt to accept a particular voice if it’s coming from a certain race?
Sound off below.
RELATED LINKS
Jill Scott’s Impassioned Reaction To #SpringValleyAssault
PRESS PLAY: Adele Taps Sexy ‘Wire’ Star for Emotional New Video
Why Adele Outsells All Of Your Favorite Black Soul Singers was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
