This video is heavily related to today's discussion. It's a nice watch, and I hope you guys enjoy it! :))
- Word Count: 733
I recently listened to the album Voodoo by D’Angelo, and to be honest, I fell in love with the album. I admired his vocals and his music composition, as it was something I’ve never heard before. The album was so alluring and new, I couldn’t help but appreciate it. Even though D’Angelo only has three albums, you can hear a clear evolution in his work. You can hear how his art progressively got louder, more confident, and more prideful. Listening to his albums in chronological order is heavily rewarding, to say the least. Now, I don’t know about y’all, but every time I consume something I like, I go out of my way to learn as much as I can about it. This goes for video games, TV shows, movies, and most recently, albums. After listening to his first album, Brown Sugar, I watched a small video essay about D’Angelo’s life and influences. Overall, that video made me appreciate his art more. Actually, I wish I could give D’Angelo his flowers…but he’s no longer alive, and honestly, that’s the problem.
As people, I notice a lot of us do not give artists the recognition they deserve until they are no longer here. Not saying this is the case for D’Angelo, but it is definitely the case for Aaliyah. Like D’Angelo, Aaliyah released three albums before passing away. You could also hear her evolution and growth in her art, even though she didn’t have a lot of projects. Aaliyah was already famous prior to her death, but when she passed, her fame skyrocketed. She is not the first artist this has happened to, nor will she be the last. For a lot of people, it seems like death gives their fame a boost. Don’t get me wrong, this alone is not an issue. People talking about artists after they die is a weird - but effective - way to keep their legacy alive. Teaching others about the impact these artists had on our culture? It memorializes them. It’s the reason people still find out about some of these artists, even years after they passed. So, I see exactly why artists get more fame after passing. My thing is, why do some of us wait to give an artist their flowers when we can give them now, while they’re still here with us?
Whether you want to admit it or not, there are some insanely talented people out in the world. There are artists with insane vocals, incredibly skilled wordplay, and there are people who can compose the fuck out of a song. However, they are likely to receive the most recognition when they are no longer here to create. That is something I want to change. Also, don’t mistake this as me blaming others, because I am not. I wasn’t even alive when Aaliyah released her music; I was born in 2006. Additionally, I had just launched my blog around the same time D’Angelo passed. I was not around to appreciate Aaliyah and D’Angelo’s artistry like I should’ve, but I’m here now. You are here now. What I’m trying to say is there are artists - people - out there who deserve more recognition; let’s not wait to give it to them. Support those you can while you still can. In my opinion, someone shouldn’t have to die to know they are appreciated, loved, and cared for. You find someone cool as shit? Let the whole world know. Listen to all of their projects. Support them; whether that means going to a performance or just streaming their work (and of course, this doesn’t apply to just artists). There’s more than one way to do it. I truly wish I had listened to D’Angelo’s projects earlier, but I know I can’t reverse time. Actually, I think we all know someone - both famous and personal - whom we wish we had supported them sooner or found out about them earlier in our lives. I feel in order to prevent things like that, we have to give people their flowers while they still have a garden. Thank you.
- CD ★
Actually, I’ll share an artist I think deserves more recognition; his name is Jakob (formerly Jakob Ogawa). He makes this indie bedroom and pop type of music, and I love it. Personally, I hope he actually makes an album. My life would literally be complete/hj. Anyway, these are my favorite tracks from him:
Okay, that was it. Thanks for listening! <3
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