When music speaks what society ignores

Music can also be a mean to narrate the problems of society. Some artists speak about deportation and families separated by policies that instill fear. Others raise their voices against systemic racism and injustice. Some celebrate women, independence and the fight against inequality. Others aren’t about social issues but carry other types of content and/or depth.

Together, these voices touch people no matter where they come from, what they look like, their religion or sexual orientation. Sometimes artists transform differences into songs that speak of unity and dignity and they make visible what many institutions fail to protect.

Bad Bunny: the impact of ICE on American society and his love for Puerto Rico

Sometimes a border can decide who belongs, who feels safe, who keeps a family close and who loses that safety in a single moment. Families often face separation due to deportation policies. Many parents cross borders with fear in their hearts. No policy justifies the anguish of a child who waits for a parent who never returns home.

Music tries to turn these wounds into stories that the public cannot ignore. Bad Bunny, for example, spoke about this reality multiple times, raising concerns about ICE in the United States. He has spoken about fear inside Latino communities and has also expressed concern about possible ICE raids outside his concerts. This fear influenced his decision to exclude the United States from his recent tour: he has stated that the pressure of current immigration policies made the risk too high for his audience.

Bad Bunny also uses music to protect his island and its cultural identity. His latest album Debí Tirar Más Fotos talks about the importance of one's roots but also about gentrification, displacement and the feeling that Puerto Rico loses a part of itself every year. His album shows pride, frustration and a deep connection to a land that fights to stay alive, and many other artists follow the same path and sing about similar topics.

"Quieren quitarme el río y también la playa

Quieren al barrio mío y que abuelita se vaya

No, no suelte' la bandera ni olvide' el lelolai

Que no quiero que hagan contigo lo que le pasó a Hawái"

(Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawái, Bad Bunny)

Black Lives Matter

The struggles of the Black community in the United States are also rooted in inequality, and the Black Lives Matter movement has brought those injustices into sharp focus. Music gives this situation a powerful voice with multiple artists. An example is Kendrick Lamar, who created songs that rise from hope and anger, producing a wave of energy during protests and becoming a symbol of survival in a place that often denies security. Artists like him give a form of protection to communities that experience violence and discrimination: music becomes a shield when systems fail.

"I'm at the preacher's door

My knees gettin' weak and my gun might blow

But we gon' be alright"

(Alright by Kendrick Lamar)

What About Women?

Another important issue in society concerns gender inequality. Women have always fought to make their voices heard. Progress exists, yet many places still deny women the safety and respect they deserve. Even in countries that celebrate empowered women, sexism often hides behind polite behaviour. Moreover, many women face danger inside and outside their homes. Assault, harassment, and femicide remain serious problems, meaning that there are still steps to be taken.

Women rise from many backgrounds. They come from different histories, cultures, and ethnicities, but we are all women, and every woman deserves safety, dignity, and respect. Independence becomes a common thread that links these experiences. Women show pride, talent, confidence, and depth. Women can become anything they choose. Music reflects this spirit with clarity. Just like Destiny's Child say:

"The shoes on my feet, I bought it.

The clothes I am wearing, I bought it.

The rock I am rocking, I bought it.

'Cause I depend on me if I want it."

(Independent Women by Destiny’s Child)

People help the People: compassion as the true measure

People often focus on the differences, but we don’t have to forget that what really matters is being kind. It's the good people who make societies evolve: people who are human and compassionate, no matter their looks, identity, gender, whom they love, religion, or where they live.

A person who feels part of a majority in a specific situation may feel completely different after moving to another place. Being part of something shifts as soon as someone enters a new space (a new country, a new place, a new reality) so it is important to try to understand others.

Diversity enriches culture and creates new ways to understand one another. Humanity must remain the central value. Politicians follow agendas and institutions often act slowly, but human beings cannot accept cruelty or the type of ignorance that doesn't want to evolve. The true threat never comes from difference like a different ethnicity, a different gender, a different religion or sexual orientation. The true threat rises from the lack of compassion, and if compassion lacks, it means there’s a true problem.

Alongside the issues we’ve discussed, the world also has other problems caused by the lack of compassion, yet there is also a part of society that is kind and supportive. It’s the part where people show what it means to be human by helping one another with kindness. It’s important to acknowledge the problems in the world while still being able to see its brighter side, just like Birdy says in People Help the People, a song that speaks about hidden pain, loneliness and the darkness that some people carry, but also about the strength that comes from offering a hand to someone who needs it. Her message is clear: people can lift each other up and that kindness can keep somebody else from sinking.

"People help the people

And if you′re homesick

Give me your hand and I'll hold it"

(People Help The People by Birdy)

The arts often try to share positive messages of hope and, for artists, are a way to speak up. Music proves that unity remains possible. It crosses borders and creates spaces of freedom. It brings communities together and is a mean that can tell different stories and transmit different emotions. People remain human before anything else, and kindness remains the value that guides every society that hopes to be peaceful.

We're leaving you with People Help The People by Birdy, a song that embodies this concept: