Pop-Soul singer Annie Lennox (of the Eurythmics) is back with a new CD appropriately title Nostalgia, where covers several familiar songs in a rendition done her way-today.
The Sweet Dreams singer doesn’t second-guess herself by asking “who am I to disagree” when disagreeing with Beyonce’s definition and brand of “feminism” [that she’s publicity been known to subscribe to].
Although the “Girls Run the World” singer is known to celebrate her stance on feminism even to a large marquee degree, Annie Lennox insists it’s [quote] “Feminism Lite.”
Long having been an activist and outspoken champion of human rights, women’s rights, and HIV/AIDS research, during an interview with Pridesource.com in promotion of her new CD, she was asked about Beyonce’s rendition of female empowerment, and specifically, what she thought about her MTV Video Music Awards appearance. She replied:
“It’s tokenistic to me. I mean, I think she’s a phenomenal artist, I just love her performances, but I’d like to sit down with her,”
said Lennox.
She continued:
“I think I’d like to sit down with quite a few artists and talk to them. I’d like to listen to them—I’d like to hear what they truly think.”
If undressing that statement, it sounds like Annie’s wants to pick pop stars’ brains-to find out if their public stances on such serious issues is real, or just a marketing tool-to attach to a major social issue as [it] being something they really, personally subscribe to and believe, or if it is merely to promote their artistic agenda and garner support, and publicity for whatever it is they are promoting.
“I think for many it’s very convenient and it looks great and it looks radical, but I have some issues with it,”
stated Annie.
She continued:
“What they do with it is cheap and… yeah. What can I tell you? Sex always sell. And there’s nothing wrong with sex selling, but it depends on your audience. If they’re 7-year-old kids, I have issues with it.”
Although Lennox hasn’t been at the forefront of the music scene until her recent Nostalgia album slated for an October 21st release (her first album since 2010) as an activist, and feminist,
…this isn’t her first time speaking out against [what seems] to not only be her problem with [“posing?”] as feminist, however (artistically-via performances) exhibiting the entire antithesis of it [as per her observation].
Back when Miley sent shock-waves to the world after her twerk-infused performance at last years MTV Video Music Awards performance, Lennox spoke out about that as well stating:
“I have to say that I’m disturbed and dismayed by the recent spate of overtly sexualized performances and videos. You know the ones I’m talking about. It seems obvious that certain record companies are peddling highly styled pornography with musical accompaniment,”
she expressed, and continued:
“As if the tidal wave of sexualized imagery wasn’t already bombarding impressionable young girls enough…I believe in freedom of speech and expression, but the market forces don’t give a toss about the notion of boundaries.”
Sounds as though Annie is true to the chorus of her most famous hit:
“Sweet Dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I traveled the world and the Seven Seas
Everybody’s looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused”
Annie Lennox has long-expressed and been outspoken about her disdain for the “sex sells” mentality often promoted in the music industry.
As a writer who blogs, I do have questions about the recent quiet transition currently taking place with one of pops biggest icons: Lady Gaga making a transition 1st: Moving from pop to jazz (that she refers to as #JazzPop). I have questions, and can’t help but wonder if this [“sex sells” mentality that Annie is speaking of] has anything to do with Gaga’s transition because you gotta admit, there is something strange happening-an irreversible point of no return, strange shift going on in music in the R & B, Pop, and Rap genres today that has everything to do with everything but the music anymore, and it all has to do with everything else being sold outside of the music (and not the music). And although I’d like to elaborate on it, I can’t (in this particular write-up)…
https://twitter.com/SaidSherice/status/516284472686551040
At any rate.
Lennox is not the only one who has spoken out about such a thing. If you remember, (although she never stepped to the forefront to confirm or deny it) we reported that rumors were buzzing that Scandal actress and activist Kerry Washington (allegedly) had issues with Beyonce’s [we’ll coin it] “overt artistic sexuality” and rendition of feminism.
On the flip side perhaps, other celebrity feminists like writer and HBO Girls actress Lena Dunham has openly expressed that the beauty about feminism is that you don’t have to pick a side—something to that effect.
