- Music
- 08 Jul 19
Can we still separate the singer from the song?
Just like Morrissey, Billy Bragg is not shy to share his views on specific topics. On Sunday, he released a long essay on his Facebook page, accusing Morrissey of posting a video with "white supremacist" content.
The nine-minute clip, that since has vanished from Morrissey's website, references Stormzy's Glastonbury performance, "arguing that the British establishment are using him [Stormzy] to promote multiculturalism at the expense of white culture", according to Bragg.
Last Sunday, while much of the British media were lauding Stormzy’s Glastonbury headline show as epoch defining,...
Posted by Billy Bragg on Sunday, July 7, 2019
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Morrissey allegedly posted the video, writing: "Nothing But Blue Skies for Stormzy... The Gallows for Morrissey". As Bragg explains, the YouTube channel that first published the clip also shared videos propagating homophobic, racist and misogynistic messages.
In his essay, Billy Bragg states: "Those who claim that this has no relevance to his stature as an artist should ask themselves if, by demanding that we separate the singer from the song, they too are helping to propagate this racist creed."
In recent years, Morrissey has become somewhat infamous for his right-wing views, supporting the anti-Islam party 'For Britain' and causing a stir with his controversial statements. For many devoted Smiths fans, it has reached a critical stage when it is in fact questionable whether the "separate the artist from the art" approach can still be supported regarding the singer...