On The Record: The Soundtrack of Our Freedom by Syleena Johnson
On The Record is a series of first-person pieces penned by TuneCore artists.
“We’re Not Okay”
Here’s the truth: the truth is we’re in a state of emergency. We’re not okay. Our country is not okay – and when things haven’t been okay in this country, Black artists have provided the soundtrack. Take the Civil Rights Movement. When you think of the Civil Rights Movement, what music comes to mind?
R&B songs and records got us through being discriminated against and told we can’t come into establishments…an entire genre of music got everyone who wanted to see integration and equality for all human beings through that era.
We need music like that for our current moment.
“R&B, Now More Than Ever”
The way that society is right now, it’s so difficult to see gain in anything just because of all the stuff that’s going on. We can’t even engage in and be happy about and be proud about Black History Month the way we’d want to because we’re literally fighting to keep it.
Editor’s note: Syleena is referring, among other things, to the federal government barring the observation of Black History Month, which you can read about here.
We need R&B music, now more than ever. But it’s disappearing. R&B used to be the voice of a generation’s struggle; then it was primarily relegated to hooks on rap records. Then rappers started singing their own hooks. Some of that is shifting industry trends, but a lot of it is gatekeepers silencing the songs that speak truth to power.
We don’t have the modern equivalent of Marvin Gaye singing “What’s going on?”. We don’t have Stevie Wonder singing “When is the last time I heard you say…” These records don’t have a color on them. They are the soundtrack of our lives, of living, and, most importantly, of healing. And when artists are writing these songs, they’re not being highlighted.
“Be The Soundtrack of Our Freedom”
Don’t get me wrong: there are still artists that are making music that matters to all human beings and speaks to our personal lives. I love Kendrick Lamar. I love Beyonce. I love gospel music and its evolution. But gospel music is monolithic and has to stay within the word of God and cannot be against it. Whereas secular music, in all its splendor and regardless of genre (jazz, pop, light rock), can be multidimensional and tell the story of our current moment. The Woodstock Festival gathered rock, folk, blues, and even country musicians to speak to the social unrest and revolutions occurring at the time.
So, to the younger generation, I say this: be the soundtrack of our oppression. Be the soundtrack of our freedom. Be the soundtrack of our elevation, because it’s necessary.
To this day, you can put on a Sade record and have a good time being sad. You can listen to Whitney Houston’s “I’m Every Woman” and instantly feel connected with the sisters around you. You listen to Bob Marley sing “everything’s gonna be alright” and you feel alright.
We have to be as intentional as they were when we make music. Our culture is increasingly selfish and for individual gain. Our writing is encouraged to be basic because everything is basically accessible. Our culture encourages us to make “things that will sell” at the expense of making music. Don’t capture the feeling of having the meaningful conversations music had back in the day. Have them now.
Literal Black History
I’ll leave you with this example: on my latest album, Legacy, I have a track called “Black Balloon.”
It’s directly inspired by my father’s song “Black Balloon,” which talks about how black people are balloons, rising above society’s oppressive directives. I sampled that song to be in conversation with my father, to capture moments from the past and use them to speak to where we are today. It’s not about running it back. It’s about learning from the past to enhance our present.
Afterword:
“Black Balloon” entered the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay Chart at number 30 upon the release of Syleena’s album Legacy, which was distributed through TuneCore. It marked the first time Syl Johnson appeared on the Billboard charts since his passing.
Legacy is currently available on all major streaming platforms.