‘You are what you listen to’
My attempt to denormalize violent lyrics in songs.
By Fatlum Jashari | July 6, 2024
Attending university lectures often feels monotonous and dreary. Time seems to dissolve as the professor’s words float through the air, blurring the boundaries between past, present and future. Even the students find themselves lost in the flow.
But this time, we were genuinely interested in the lecture. The topic was narcotics and their effects on the human body — a common subject in the Sociology Department of the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Prishtina.
Everything was going smoothly. The professor, with great determination, was explaining what he had learned from books. There was no room for real-world observations or practical examples. Unfortunately, it sounded like rote learning, lacking the vision to explore other viewpoints or methods.
Meanwhile, from a coffee shop outside the faculty, a song was playing that contained the lyrics “your soul is as white as cocaine.” This comparison between the purity of the soul and the narcotic substance, cocaine, suggests that the whiteness of cocaine represents virtue or value. There are many other white things, far prettier than cocaine, which could be used in such a comparison. Nevertheless, the song writer chose cocaine.
Isn’t it time to reflect on the type of music that is so commonly listened to?
All this happened while the professor continued his lecture on strategies against narcotics, which was funny to me. Simultaneously, I felt disheartened by the social reality in our society. To laugh or to cry became the question.
Isn’t it time to reflect on the type of music that is so commonly listened to? This music often glorifies crime, violence, insults, the objectification of women and unhealthy behaviors.
I thought about how deeply these kinds of songs had embedded themselves in our subconscious. Hearing them in situations like this had become so ordinary that neither the lecturer or the students noticed. On the contrary, many of us are also aware of their widespread popularity. It is not uncommon to see young people enjoying themselves and singing loudly along to this type of music.
I decided to react
The indifference from others negatively affected my self-confidence, placing me in a Hamlet-like dilemma. I had to choose between action and inaction, addressing the problematic influence of this music and allowing silence to prevail, as it had up until now.
In April 2023, I decided to awaken those who had fallen into a slumber. From the offset, we had to accept that people might not be supportive.
Despite this, we had to consider the potential challenges that might await us when carrying out such activities in a society that has embraced these songs. We account for the possibility of negative reactions, maybe even aggressive ones. Research shows that repeated exposure to violent words can contribute to the development of aggressive personality and indirectly create a more hostile social environment.
As I was considering what to do, I thought that finding and collaborating with others who felt similarly about this issue could lead to success.
Knowing that most of these songs can be heard in cafes and assuming that the customers enjoy this music, I started writing and distributing flyers that included a message along with the lyrics of the songs.
Some of the songs we analyzed, which primarily denigrate women, included lyrics such as: “Call all your friends, bring them if you want” “Come on, faster, or I’m going to another woman,” “I’m dirty, I’m messed up, I sell a bitch, do business, I sell her for 5,000 euro then I give her 1,000 euro” and “I fucked my professor, that’s why I’m passing class.” I accompanied these lyrics with questions asking the listener if they really agree with these words, which encourage the oppression, devaluation and hatred of women by men. I included the statement “STOP supporting these songs!”
All this activity was carried out with two close friends who shared the same views on the issue.
I decided to adopt this approach hoping that reading the song lyrics without musical accompaniment might spark a deeper awareness of the music’s impact on our brain. I had read somewhere that “you are what you listen to.” I even distributed the flyers in parks, campuses and other frequently visited places. All this was carried out with two close friends who shared my views on the issue.
As part of this activism, I made an effort to discuss this topic during training sessions and forums. One of my main goals was to help people understand the impact that consuming this type of music has, particularly among young people. They are growing up with a cultural legitimization of physical and sexual violence, as well as the oppression of women and drug use.
My activism has led to different reactions from those around me. Initially, I received reactions such as “all Albanian music is like this” and “you can’t criticize all the great singers,” then reactions like “Art should not be seen as a way to educate people.”
In spite of this, there were also supportive reactions. Those who reacted supportively expressed surprise that they listened to such music and enjoyed it, but realized after reflecting that they are against what the songs promote. Sometimes people need help to see things clearly, especially when certain phenomena have become so normalized that they go noticed.
Feature image: K2.0.
Want to support our journalism?
At Kosovo 2.0, we strive to be a pillar of independent, high-quality journalism in an era where it’s increasingly challenging to maintain such standards and fearlessly pursue truth and accountability. To ensure our continued independence, we are introducing HIVE, our new membership model that offers an opportunity for anyone who values our journalism to contribute and become part of our mission.
Become a member of HIVE or consider making a donation.