Katelyn Carter
The battle for “colorblindness” in America is an ongoing one; Americans are constantly at odds with whether to embrace the idea of such blindness, or to celebrate racial differences. But what happens when an attempt at colorblindness poses a threat to a cultural tradition rooted in a particular race? This attempt is made manifest in the genre of soul music— particularly, blue-eyed soul, or soul music made by white artists. In the 1960s, it was the Righteous Brothers, in the 1980s, Teena Marie, and today current artists like Robin Thicke, Allen Stone, and Justin Timberlake all fight for a place in the soul music genre as “reputable” soul artists. Does acquiring this reputable status champion the cause of colorblindness in the world of soul, or does such a status still come attached with a disclaimer of racial background? It seems that, while these blue-eyed soul artists may enjoy the success of record sales, sold-out concerts, and radio play, the African-American community is still divided over whether or not these artists should be put into the same category as singers like Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and Diana Ross— artists who brought their blackness into their music to create a sound that reflected more than aesthetic, but race struggles as well.
Obviously, commercial success affirms to these white soul singers that their music is enjoyed to some degree. Beyond this, there are black supporters of blue-eyed soul. Essence magazine has run articles celebrating their favorite white soul singers, making them “honorary brother[s]”, and record executives like Gary Harris have said they’d rather listen to the likes of Mayer Hawthorne than Chris Brown. Still, there are others in the African American community who are suspicious of white artists singing soul music, “…citing the audacity of White performers who borrow from the musical well of (blues, gospel, jazz, hip-hop) Blackness” (Ebony Magazine). It seems that blue-eyed soul singers have a race struggle of their own: finding acceptance in the soul community as white artists who are participating in a historically black musical tradition.
Soul Singer Allen Stone
I am a huge fan of soulful music, particularly the Neo-Soul genre. I have thought about both sides of this controversy before, but I never realized how much of a concern it is within the African American community. It could be because I enjoy almost all types of music or because most of the soul music artist I listen to are African Americans. Now that I think about it, I sometimes hear my friends say “It’s okay. He’s one of us” when we watch Robin Thicke or Justin Timberlake perform on television. I can understand both sides of this controversy, but honestly I can enjoy the music of any artist that brings a piece of themselves into their work to make it their own.