There are many different elements that make up music. Whether it be instruments or vocals, everyone has a specific part of a song that stands out to them. But does anyone ever pay attention to the lyrics? Do we really hear what the artist is saying and think about what that may mean?
Music plays a big role in reflecting and shaping culture. Popular music reflects what a society enjoys listening to. Music is a form through which artists and listeners can express themselves. However, this does not mean that music is always a reflection of the positives in a society. There has been a growing concern over the normalisation of rape culture in music.
Rape culture refers to a social environment which normalises, excuses, and even promotes sexual violence and misogyny. Such an environment is tied to rape by the small day-to-day actions that perpetuate and normalise violence against women, and the oppression of women creates a culture wherein more overt violations of women’s rights become more common. When Robin Thicke speaks about consent as though it can be an obscure concept rather than a necessity in “Blurred Lines”, we understand that this promotes a system of beliefs which allows sexual violence by devaluing explicit consent. Rape culture is prevalent in a lot of mainstream western music if one pays close enough attention, but have we ever stopped to consider its presence in South African music?
Living in what has been deemed the “rape capital of the world”, South African women understand all too well that rape culture is embedded into our society. When looking deeply at the lyrics of popular amapiano songs, it seems even our beloved genre is not free of problematic themes. People bond over music and form connections with each other, and through popularising certain songs, there is an indirect expression of approval for the contents and subject matter of the song. When asked about the common subject matter of amapiano music, many feel as though the genre highlights the social aspects of life and what it looks like to have a good time. There is no inherent issue with portraying such aspects of life and it is often commonplace for popular music. However, this portrayal becomes problematic when it begins to promote misogyny. When asked about her feelings on amapiano and its subject matter, 36-year-old Ayabonga commented, “[Certain songs] speak of sleeping with women as though it’s part of the events of the night, avoiding any reference to consent.”
This objectification can be seen in various lyrics of popular songs. 18-year-old Biyoza sees this entitlement as an issue prevalent across South African music, including amapiano. She notes that Amapiano lyrics that instruct women to give men “their cake” or translate to “you are going to sleep with me” take away women’s autonomy and promote male entitlement. This, in turn, normalises objectification and reinforces the idea that women belong to men. Such beliefs are fundamental to rape culture and allow it to thrive.
However, some are of the opinion that the issue is not the genre itself but specifically the songs and artists we popularise. 19-year-old Ntando says, “Amapiano as a genre is one that is easily perceived as groove music only, however this is far from the truth.” She remarks that amapiano can be spiritual and can centre love. This presents an interesting perspective. There are many artists within the genre who create songs without resorting to problematic themes, and it would not be fair to discount their work by labelling the entire genre as problematic. Maybe the issue is not the genre itself but the current tracks which have been made popular.
So whose responsibility is it to address the rampant misogyny in popular music? When it comes to the artist’s role, it can be argued that artists should be able to express themselves. However, it is equally important for artists to consider the impact of their messages. Given the context of South Africa’s gender-based violence rates, some find it irresponsible for artists to spread rhetoric that is so harmful to women. On the other hand, this also means that it is just as important for listeners to be selective about the kind of music they allow to become popular as listening to harmful music enables and supports harmful behaviour. Music is an integral part of South African society. The kind of music we put out and promote is thus a reflection of our beliefs and behaviours. We cannot aim to fight GBV and in the same breath allow sexual violence and misogyny to flood our speakers and circulate our dance floors.
Visual: Khanyisa Motsepe
