Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

Let me begin by first saying: I am in no way particularly knowledgeable about music production or the music industry; my opinions are just that — opinions — and I make no pretense that my tastes are more impeccable than anybody else’s. That being said, my good people of Western, we have a problem: people are avoiding music outside of their own bubbles.

Phrases such as “music transcends all boundaries” are commonplace, but it seems to me that we keep placing boundaries regardless, most prominently the boundary of language. And, I get it — people fear the unknown, and more than that, many people just don’t have an interest in listening to music that they can’t inherently understand. I confess, too, that I haven’t always been an “international music connoisseur,” but I place value in understanding people and learning about things outside of my bubble and in turn, I developed an interest in exploring music through a historical and cultural lens.

I’m going to come right out and say it, because you’re probably already thinking it, but yes, my first exposure to music not in English was through anime openings. Sound the alarms, I know that’s the ultimate cringey sentence for some. But hear me out because this article isn’t about that; there’s this anime called “NANA,” and the music for that anime was largely sung by a woman named Tsuchiya Anna, who I now credit with getting me interested in J-Rock, which in turn led me to think ‘huh, I wonder what else is out there,’ which then got me interested in K-Pop. 

And you might be wondering, what the hell does this have to do with that historical and cultural lens you were talking about? But through my interest in these musical genres, through time spent perusing YouTube for explanations behind lyrical intent, I’ve learned so much about the cultural values and historical significance of certain songs — from how a culture might perceive beauty standards to issues of government control — and I’ve come to have a real appreciation for the artistry of languages that I can’t understand without first doing some digging. 

Here’s a more specific example: I was in the YouTube abyss one night, watching compilation after compilation of music competition videos, when I stumbled upon a video of Elina Ivashchenko competing on “The Voice Kids Ukraine” while singing a cover of Jamala’s “1944,” a song dedicated to the forced migration of the Ukranian Tatars under the Stalin regime. You might be thinking “the what? I never learned this in school,” and if that’s what you’re thinking, then I was right on board with you. And that’s my point: my first introduction to the history of a people’s pain under annexation was from a 14-year-old girl on a competition show singing a song so hauntingly beautiful that I did my own research on its meaning which I carry with me now. Music has the power to do that, so why is it that we confine ourselves to the limitations of our perspective languages? The world is so much vaster.

Contact the author at skiernansherrow17@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of ziyoou-vachi.com

Photo courtesy of https://anna-t.com/

Photo courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment