Artists ain't that sensitive, Y'all just rude.
Words by Afoma
"Artists are too sensitive nowadays" is a phrase that I encounter daily on social media. Touted as crybabies looking for 'Yes Men', artists are often heavily criticised for their inability to receive 'constructive criticism' on their work.
Artists tend to be wary about judgement made on their work, but can we blame them.
In the words of Erykah Badu - "I am an artist, and I'm sensitive about my Sh*t".
The sensitive mind is creative.
Creative expression is personal and comes from a place of openness. Often artists spend months even years crafting projects that stem directly from their vulnerability. It is not by coincidence artists create some of their most critically acclaimed albums during a time of emotional turmoil for the artist. In an effort of creative pursuit, these artists pour their heart and soul into an album to achieve their artistic goals. Beyonce's Lemonade album is an excellent example of this. Lemonade gave us a front-row seat to her personal life; she exposed us to her experience in dealing with infidelity from her partner. Artists like Beyonce are attached to their work; so, a bit of sensitivity makes sense.
Music critics understand an artists attachment to their work so they "tend" to offer constructive criticism.
"criticism is used to correct not chastise." - DJ booth
"This album is trash" is not a legitimate critique. Critiques must be specific. However, constructive criticism does not always appear in the social media world. Fans can be ruthless with their commentary; so, it is increasingly challenging for an artist to identify when a person is offering legitimate criticism and not hate.
'The beautiful thing about social media is that fans now have personal access to their favourite artists and can now engage with said artists directly.'
Due to social media, fans know they are one tweet away from their favourite artists. The perception of 'they are just like us' has led to the birth of artists such as Cardi B and Megan thee Stallion. These artists build a personal relationship with their fans through Instagram stories and names like "hot girls" and "Bardi Gang."
'The worst thing about social media is that fans now have personal access to their fave artists and can now engage with said artists directly.'
Social media offers this anonymity that camouflages trolls and stan's alike.
Hateful commentators can hide behind the pretence of 'just being real with the artist'. If a person does not like a specific artist, they now have the resources to make their dislike known to the artist. Recently, Summer Walker had to turn off the comment section on her Instagram after being bombarded with negative commentary on her battle with social anxiety. This week, Kash doll went on a full twitter rant after being trolled by Nicki Minaj stan's due to the supposed falling out between the two rappers.
Making fun of an artist's work and verbally abusing them to get laughs from their audience has become a popular trope for numerous online music commentary platforms. The cast members of these shows are not music enthusiasts but instead are unknowns looking for a way to trend on twitter and hype up their social presence.
Trolling can become easy once hidden behind a screen name or even when supported by a large following and often at times retweets and likes are exchanged for understanding the humanity and mental health of an artist.
When artists finally respond to the trolls, they are said to be too sensitive and told to get over themselves if they want to last longer in the industry.
That is an obtuse way of thinking.
Contrary to belief, artists are not as hypersensitive as we think. Artists recognise that constructive judgement is an essential vehicle for their artistic growth. The problem lies in the fact that hateful commentary supported by retweets and likes is the new "legitimate critique."