Cultural appropriation is perhaps unavoidable in a modern-day culture of musical sampling, which has created a layering of old styles with new ones. This is what has made pop as it is today.  Something of the mass population becomes the motivation for cultural change, which, to some extent, has driven the exciting progression of dance sounds all over the world, from garage to grime (Quach, G, 2019). Cultural appropriation is notnew. For years noticeable people have been accused of borrowing the fashions, music, and art forms of various cultural groups and promoting them as their own. The music industry in particular uses cultural appropriation. For example;

Miley cyrus:

Artist Miley Cyrus is best known for her starring role in the Disney Channel program “Hannah Montana,” which also featured her country music star father Billy Ray Cyrus. As a young adult, Cyrus has taken pains to shed her “child star” image. In June 2013, Miley Cyrus released a new single, “We Can’t Stop.” During that time Cyrus earned press about the song’s allusions to drug use and made headlines after debuting a markedly “urban” look and singing with rapper Juicy J on stage in Los Angeles. Viewers had been shocked to see Miley Cyrus wear a grill with gold teeth and twerk at the House of Blues with Juicy J. But Cyrus’ image overhaul was a decidedly concerted move, with her music producers commenting that she wanted her new songs to “feel black.” Cyrus had faced a wave of criticism from African Americans concerned that she was using black culture to advance her career, which many before her had done (Kareem Nittle, N, 2019). “Miley seems to delight in …twerking, bending at the waist and shaking her rear in the air” (Kareem Nittle, N, 2019). But mainly, she, as a rich white woman, is playing at being a lesser definitely from a lower socio-economic level. Along with the gold grill and some hand gestures, Miley appropriates the accessories associated with certain black people on the borders of society (Kareem Nittle, N, 2019).

Madonna:

The Italian-American artist Madonna has been accused of borrowing from a lot of cultures to sell her music, including gay culture, black culture, Indian culture, and Latin American cultures (Kareem Nittle, N, 2019). In “Madonna: A Critical Analysis,”author JBNYC points out how the pop star wore Indian saris, bindis, and clothing during a 1998 photo shoot for Rolling Stone magazine and the following year took part in a geisha-inspired photo spread for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. Prior to this, Madonna borrowed from Latin American culture for her 1986 video “La Isla Bonita” and from gay, black, and Latino culture for her 1990 video “Vogue” (Kareem Nittle, N, 2019). However, Madonna makes political statements about feminism, female sexuality, and homosexuality about their ideological representations in the media. In the case of her Indian, Japanese, and Latino looks, she has made no political or cultural statements (Kareem Nittle, N, 2019). Her use of these cultural artefacts is seeming and the consequence is great. 

References:

Kareem Nittle, N. (2019). Cultural Appropriation in Music: From Madonna to Miley Cyrus. [online] ThoughtCo. Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/cultural-appropriation-in-music-2834650 [Accessed 23 Aug. 2019].

Quach, G. (2019). Sampling, Stealing and Influence: Music and Cultural Appropriation – The Oxford Student. [online] The Oxford Student. Available at: https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2019/03/08/sampling-stealing-and-influence-music-and-cultural-appropriation/ [Accessed 23 Aug. 2019].

MCMILLAN COTTOM, T. (2019). Slate’s Use of Your Data. [online] Slate Magazine. Available at: https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/08/miley-cyrus-vma-performance-white-appropriation-of-black-bodies.html [Accessed 23 Aug. 2019].

Kareem Nittle, N. (2019). Cultural Appropriation in Music: From Madonna to Miley Cyrus. [online] ThoughtCo. Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/cultural-appropriation-in-music-2834650 [Accessed 23 Aug. 2019].

DWYER, G. (2019). 12 times celebrities landed in hot water for cultural appropriation. [online] The Feed. Available at: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/12-times-celebrities-landed-in-hot-water-for-cultural-appropriation [Accessed 27 Aug. 2019].