WONDER/LAND: ACTIVISM IN MUSIC WRITING Now More Than Ever: Australian Music as a Transcendent Tool for Social Change. Vivienne Chester would really be much happier as a guinea pig. With the investigation into allegations of misogyny against Sony Australia ongoing at the time of writing, it is important to remember the ways in which music can transcend its production and produce positive societal change. Music has a unique ability to provoke emotions and encourage empathy in a catchy and palatable format – it brings people together! It is because of this that music is more than just a collection of sounds. Music is a force for change. Marginalised groups in Australia are using music to express themselves and bring issues to the forefront of the Australian cultural debate. Thelma Plum is a Gamilaraay woman whose song ‘Better in Blak’ has been certified gold in Australia – you’ve probably heard it being played on the radio. The song’s lyrics – apart from being catchy – serve to bring feminism and Aboriginal representation into the pop sphere in Australia. Plum, when asked about her motive to write the song, responded “there was absolutely no representation in mainstream media.” Brisbane based band Cub Sport also use music as a tool for social change. The band’s most popular song to date – ‘Come On Mess Me Up’ – has been certified platinum, and 60
came in at number 24 on Triple J’s Hottest 100 in 2016. The band uses its platform to promote LGBT+ rights in Australia. Many of their songs – apart from being catchy – spread this message. After same-sex marriage was legalised in 2017, front-man Tim Nelson claimed that the song’s popularity had helped spread the message of equality across the Australian airwaves. A bit closer to home, Perth singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly made waves with her single ‘Boys Will Be Boys’, released in 2017 amidst the burgeoning Australian #metoo movement. The album in which ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ belongs is currently sitting on 5.5 million Spotify streams. On her bold feminist lyrics (such as “Boys will be boys/ Deaf to the word ‘no’”) and the enormous international impact they have produced, Donnelly stated, “being a feminist makes me accountable for how others are being treated, not just how I’ve been treated and how I want to be treated.” Modern Australian musicians are using their music as a medium to create social change, producing tracks that transcend their original form to become resonating statements of activism. However, this is nothing new. Australian music has a long history of protest
Dude! Where’s my Social Sciences Degree?
