The Impact of Songs in the Body Positive Movement
Written by Gia Villegas
Today, more and more people have begun to share the belief that humans come in all shapes, sizes, ages, religions, sexualities, and colors, and every single person is beautiful. Although this is amazing, it is crucial to know that this belief is still not shared by everyone and has not been the case in the past. In the late 1960s, the fat acceptance movement was formed in order to combat the discrimination and limitations against heavier people. In the 1850s, the Victorian Dress Reform movement was created to challenge the societal expectation of females being forced to wear extremely tight corsets just to have an hourglass figure. This fight has been going on for years, and today there are several musicians who are utilizing their platform to spread awareness and quicken the happenings of change. These musicians’ tactic is to create what they make best, a song.
The pop genre has been home to most of these body positive artists, using catchy tunes and substantial messages. Alessia Cara has crafted songs to talk about how society can negatively impact someone’s self-esteem. In her song, “Scars to Your Beautiful”, she sings the line: “There’s a hope that’s waiting for you in the dark/ You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are.”, encouraging others to embrace who they are because they are beautiful just the way they are. Lizzo has also created notable songs that advance the discussion of body positivity and encourage girls to be proud of their skin and their body. In her song, “My Skin”, she sings: “In my skin/I can’t wash it away, so you can’t take it from me/My brown skin,” encouraging listeners, especially people of color, to be proud of the color of their skin and hold it close to their heart. With big-time artists like Lizzo and Alessia Cara promoting self-love, people all around the world are inspired and many feel empowered to transfer the love onto themselves.
Hearing these messages of body positivity and loving oneself unconditionally on the radio, on Spotify, and on any streaming platform can open someone’s eyes to their own beauty and their own worth. This is why artists must continue to write their songs. Music is beyond powerful. It brings people together, spreads messages, spreads love, and can be the light that someone was searching for to notify them that they are beautiful and capable of whatever comes their way.
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Goodman, Elyssa. “14 Musicians With Body Positive Messages.” Billboard, 12 Feb. 2018, http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8099201/body-positive-musicians-list. Accessed 27 Aug. 2020.
Passion Blog, 26 Feb. 2018, http://sites.psu.edu/halepassionblog/2018/02/26/history-of-body-positivity/. Accessed 27 Aug. 2020.