"Feeling Good as Hell"

I spoke with Madison Jones, nineteen year old student and avid music fan, about all things music. Read ahead to discover a perspective from outside the industry on her own personal taste, her favourite artists, and how issues women face are being addressed.

C: So Maddie lets start with the basics, what is your relationship with music?

M: There's not much I do in life without music being involved whether it be driving with the radio on full or doing work with music quietly playing in the background. Music helps me concentrate and even improves my mood when needed. Having not being able to play any instruments (minus some extremely basic guitar) I enjoy listening to music almost constantly.

C: I think that's something a lot of us can relate to, what kind of music do you enjoy listening to?

M: I find that my ‘music taste’ varies a lot dependent on what mood I am in or who I am with. It is mainly focused around pop/ pop punk/ classic rock/ indie music through the likes of bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Fleetwood Mac, The Killers, Foo Fighters and The Kooks as well as artists such as Sam Fender, Lizzo, Harry Styles and Hozier.

C: There's some good choices there! Who are some of your favourite artists?

M: Of the artists listed above Lizzo is an artist I have been listening to religiously since her song ‘Truth Hurts’ went viral. I think that the messages she puts out in both her music and in general are extremely important in today's society. As well as this she has formed a friendship with another one of my favourite artists, Harry Styles, who also addresses similar issues both in his music and through his platform. This pairing is an incredibly positive friendship in the music industry and their collaborations on stage singing together as well as Harry's cover of ‘Juice’ in the BBC live lounge reached a wider audience.

C: What’s your favourite Lizzo song and why?

M: Whilst I love the entirety of Lizzo’s discography my favourite would have to be her song ‘Juice’ I think its empowering, it's fun and upbeat and it’s a song that just lifts your mood instantly. I enjoyed Harrys cover on BBC’s live Lounge however it doesn’t compare to Lizzo’s energy and vocals throughout the track, its infectious and its one of my regular plays in my playlists.

C: So what is it that draws you to Lizzo?

M: She embodies a sense of female empowerment and encourages self-love and appreciation, something I feel is severely lacking recently. She is unapologetically herself and despite an onslaught of negativity on social media she continues to push her message to all women. She stands for everything social media lacks; she is confident and unfiltered, and an all-round real, honest woman and I admire her for that.

C: She's definitely an amazing role model, do you think she's affected you personally?

M: Body image is something that differs from person to person. For me I have struggled with my own body image and body confidence for a long time however seeing Lizzo own her body so confidently and proudly has inspired me to appreciate myself and my body more. She has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone in a fashion sense and has helped me gain a new confidence I did not have before.

C: I can imagine it's so helpful to have someone in the spotlight represent, encourage and speak up for you. Do you think she’s had a positive impact on the music industry as well as her fans?

M: I think she has an incredibly positive impact on the industry itself, her music is popular and reaches a variety of audiences and she sets an extremely positive example for her younger fans. She is unlike any other artist that has been in the industry thus far and will only continue to grow in popularity.

C: What issues does she address and how?

As touched on previously one of the biggest issues she addresses is body image and body shaming that happens all too often on social media. She has been the subject of cruel jokes about her weight yet continues to break the stereotypes that big women don’t or can't exercise as she regularly uploads her gruelling workout videos. She is unapologetic when it comes to trolls and hate comments and continues to rise above them regardless. She also addresses the Black Lives Matter movement using her Instagram and twitter platforms. She has spoken out about many of the incidents and uploaded stories where she supported protestors in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd. Overall, she uses her platform to address important subjects and does so appropriately and unapologetically.

C: What do you think other artists and music professionals should be doing to address these issues?

I believe that music professionals are given a platform not only to promote their music and the industry but to speak about prominent issues going on in the current world. Some music professionals believe that they should not voice their political opinions in the same place they promote their music through fear of losing the respect of their fanbase, however if everyone kept quiet about pressing issues nothing would ever get done. Surely it is better to speak on such issues rather than being part of the reason it gets ignored. It is not the job of people on social media to educate others on this however I feel that with such platform comes the responsibility to spread awareness and support of such issues.