The influence of those with immense fame is unbelievable in the face of our modern civilisation; the ways in which major stars can change the perceptions and ideas of the general public ties back in to many articles I’ve written before regarding how those in the public eye, in the music world and pop-culture in general have a social power that rivals no other. With massive fanbases, and admirers who come the exceptional amount of media each day; a story by online culture zine Dazed caught my eye regarding something that may seem so simple, yet truly shows the extent of how those with fame influence the public.
Two weeks ago, electronic pop-songstress Grimes released a new track since her 2015 album Art Angels, entitled ‘We Appreciate Power‘ in collaboration with featuring synthpop star HANA. With the release of the lyric video (which is just absolutely stunning in terms of aesthetic, despite the fact that the track is fantastic – I am pretty sure at least 100 of those almost-2 million views belong to me solely.) the lyrics have caused a stir amongst the general public, as within the song Grimes sings ‘What will it take, to make you capitulate?‘ – this has lead to an incredible upsurge of Google searches for the definition of the word ‘capitulate.‘ Albeit perhaps being misconceived as seemingly small incident, as an artist with a devoted following: the ways in which her lyrics inspired fans and the general public who love the track to make the word ‘capitulate‘ one of the most google searched definitions since the release of the track is an evident example of how those in the public eye have such an awe-inspiring influence over the general public – and furthermore, why artists cannot distance themselves from serious issues, because even something such as this is pure evidence of the effects of pop-culture on society. For reference, the definition of capitulate is ‘to yield, or cease to resist to an opponent or unwelcome demand.‘
Check out the gorgeous lyric video for Grimes’ ‘We Appreciate Power‘ below:
