Bono says that “music has gotten very girly” and oh boy…
Bono, we need to talk. In an interview with Rolling Stone for the publication’s January 2018 issue, Bono said that “music has gotten very girly.” And well, we have thoughts and feedback for him.
The U2 frontman explained that the band is always on the hunt for new music and his kids are also on top of current trends. Bono’s son believes that a rock and roll revolution is just around the corner. But is Bono on board for change? It doesn’t seem that way.
"I think music has gotten very girly," Bono said. "And there are some good things about that, but hip-hop is the only place for young male anger at the moment — and that's not good. When I was 16, I had a lot of anger in me. You need to find a place for it and for guitars, whether it is with a drum machine – I don't care. The moment something becomes preserved, it is fucking over. You might as well put it in formaldehyde."
In one fell swoop, Bono offended everyone who isn’t a man and pigeonholed rock and roll into a single definition. Ugh.
By using the term “girly” to describe how he believes the music industry has softened and rejected “young male anger,” Bono is dismissing rock and roll artists who aren’t young men. He’s also dismissing artists who aren’t using the genre to express anger.
Bono continued, “In the end, what is rock & roll? Rage is at the heart of it.” Rage is certainly at the heart of some rock and roll, and of some hip-hop, and of some jazz or classical music, even. But rage and rock and roll do not always have to go hand-in-hand, Bono.
Anyone can use any genre to express any emotion. That’s the beauty of music! It’s truly for everyone!
Even though he’s been in the industry for years, Bono can’t define rock and roll as just one thing. And he can’t say who can and can’t be part of the rock and roll world. Honestly, no one can.
The music industry hasn’t gotten “girly,” Bono. It has become more diverse, experimental, fluid, and emotionally inclusive.
