FEATURE:
Genre-lisation
IN THIS PHOTO: Arlo Parks/PHOTO CREDIT: Transgressive Records
Why Are Black Artists Like Arlo Parks Mislabelled When It Comes to Their Influences?
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THERE was something posted recently…
IN THIS PHOTO: Little Simz/PHOTO CREDIT: Karolina Wielocha
that caught my eye. Arlo Parks is Mercury Prize-winning artist whose second studio album, My Soft Machine, is out on 26th May. It is going to be another terrific release from an artist whose distinct and honest songwriting has captured hearts and minds. I think I first heard her music prior to the release of her debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, in 2021. In terms of genre, I know that many artists don’t want to be defined. That is fair enough, but it is helpful to know what inspired them. You don’t have to define artists by genre, but I do feel that there needs to be some sort of guide or starting point. When it comes to Black artists, are we too ready to define them by cliché and stereotypes? It affects female artists more than men I think, but so many Black artists are labelled quickly. Many assume that their music is R&B, Soul or Rap when, in fact, they are influenced by other genres. Highsnobiety put out a feature last month that celebrated fifteen women currently killing it in Hip-Hop. A positive sign for sure, there is some amazing talent in the mix. Little Simz is up top, but artists such as Ice Spice are in the mix. Any feature that draws attention to women and Rap is wonderful. A genre still seen as male-driven and problematic in some ways (because of language and attitudes expressed in some songs), it is a genre that is broadening, opening doors and also showing more sensitivity and personal revelation.
PHOTO CREDIT: Vlada Karpovich/Pexels
Many of the artists featured by Highsnobiety are going to go a long way. Arlo Parks is one of the fifteen. The issue is, I am not sure anyone can call her a ‘Hip-Hop’ artist. The same might be able to be said of one or two other artists listed in the future. It is great Parks’ music has been highlighted, but to see her as a rapper seems weird! The Line of Best Fit published a feature where they reported Parks’ reaction to the inclusion:
“Politely acknowledging that the publication have missed the mark by including her on their list, Arlo Parks took to Twitter to encourage black artists to "make whatever you want to make regardless of the boxes that people try and fold you into", noting that they are "on the right path" regardless.
At this moment in time, her response appears to have fallen on deaf ears, with High Snobiety responding to it with: "<3".
This feature is just a small example of publications trying to box artists into categories that do not fit their sound, simply judging them stereotypically by the colour of their skin.
Rachel Chinouriri is another artist who has been vocal about this in her career thus far. She has widely spoken about how artists such as Coldplay and Daughter have been a strong influence on her sound, but yet she still finds herself categorised into the wrong genre – often being labelled as R&B or Soul.
In an Instagram post following the tweet posted last January, she went into further detail, providing a statement on how being mislabelled has affected her.
"When I was 18 I started putting pictures of myself to my music artwork and sometimes I regret ever doing that," she begins. "Before then it was always “indie” or “alternative” or even “electronic”. Then it became… “You sound like a white girl”, “I can hear influences of soul”, “This is kind of RnB”, “Neo soul?”, “This is white music”.
Artists like Arlo Parks and Rachel Chinouriri have been mislabelled as R&B and Rap. Again, I am not sure whether male artists experience it as much, but are Black women too readily miscast in genres they are either not interested or influenced by? Look at some of the most incredible Black female artists coming through right now, and you will see many genres covered. I am thinking of someone like Samara Joy. A wonderful Jazz artist, I know it is not the case that every Black female artist is either seen as belonging to R&B or Hip-Hop. It does seem worrying that Parks’ music was seen as such. Someone who clearly is not a Hip-Hop act, you hear elements of Pop, Indie and Jazz in her work too. There is a vulnerability and softness, but so many interesting labels. I am not sure I have ever even heard Parks rap in a song. No real Hip-Hop elements in her work. The same is true with Rachel Chinouriri and R&B. She herself has named Coldplay as influences. In 2023, are we still in a position where there is ‘Black’ and ‘White Music’?! Maybe it is easy to make honest mistakes, but it does seem lazy to assume that a Black artist would naturally belong to genres traditionally seen as Black. The reverse is true. No genre should be defined by gender or race. For sure, I do think that the most important Hip-Hop artists coming through are Black, but it would be an oversight to stereotype or ignore the breadth of the genre. This is also true of R&B.
Apparently I’m on @highsnobiety’s list of 15 female hip-hop artists…all I will say is that if you are a black person make whatever you want to make regardless of the boxes that people try and fold you into - you’re on the right path pic.twitter.com/gBVc8ZzhlD
— Arlo Parks (@arloparks) April 4, 2023
Arlo Parks dealt with the article well. After all, it is important that her work has been highlighted, but to miscast and defined by the wrong genre is myopic and tone deaf. You only need to listen to a few songs to realise that Indie Pop and Indie Folk are closer to the mark. She has said, rightly, that Black artists shouldn’t be boxed - that they should be free to make whatever music they like without being narrowly defined. Also, even though her Wikipedia page says that R&B is a genre she is associated with, I also think that this is untrue. Listen hard and it is hard to see any R&B influences or connections. Again, this seems like someone assuming that as she is a Black artist that she would be R&B (or Hip-Hop). We need to get out of this mindset that fails to recognise that Black artists are influenced by a wide range of artists and genres. We never label and easily define white artists, so why should we do so with Black artists? From Pop and Indie through to Folk, Jazz, and Bluegrass, one cannot jump to conclusions or be ignorant when it comes to labelling. I do feel that there are genres that are still harder for Black artists to make a mark in and get as much attention as white artists. Even Pop, Rock and Indie still have a long way to go when it comes to equality and spotlighting more Black artists. With remarkable pioneers like Nova Twins and Arlo Parks coming through, we will see a day when various genes are not exclusively seen as white or Black-dominated and defined. It is terrific that incredible Black women are bossing Hip-Hop. This is a hugely important thing to recognise. We can’t assume that Black artists are not influenced by music and genres that go against the narrative. What people assume that Black artists are influenced by. Let’s hope that attitudes change because damage is done when this happens. It is vital that Black artists are not done…
A huge disservice.