The song I would like to investigate for this assignment is “What About Us?” by PINK which was released in 2017. My second option is “Dear Mr. President” by Indigo Girls and PINK which was released in 2006. Both songs exemplify the underlying issue of politics, war, gay rights, and the lack of empathy for poor citizens and children. “What About Us”(2017) is my first choice because it sheds light on our troubled American society. When I first heard this song on the radio, I immediately assumed that it was about love or a troubled relationship. However, if you watch the music video and listen more closely to its context, the true message behind it is revealed. In the music video, PINK shows the story of a “lost generation” which mirrors the pain of all Americans that have felt abandoned and unheard by today’s society. No human deserves to have their voice unheard regardless of their sexuality, gender, religious belief, or skin color. This song exemplifies the importance of this important issue.

 

My second choice for this assignment, “Dear Mr President” by Indigo Girls and PINK (2006), criticizes several issues around former President George W. Bush’s presidency. This song also includes the fight for gay marriage, troubles regarding war in Iraq, and the lack of support for poor citizens, minorities, and children. I also found it super interesting to know that this song was only released in only Europe, Canada, and Australia. This is super interesting to learn because PINK usually preaches to fight for what’s right no matter what the issue is in general. Looking at both songs genre wise, “What About Us” is classified as a pop-song or electronic dance music. “Dear Mr. President” can be considered many genres of music such as pop, acoustic, soft rock, or country rock. The rise in social media addressing these social issues attempts to bring awareness and justice to those who carry the distress of homophobia, racism, and human rights. 

 

As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, both songs shed the importance of my personal beliefs as well as others. Being a person who has learned the importance of human rights, and racism, it’s important to me personally to bring awareness to these issues with this podcast assignment. One of my main goals in life is to be inclusive to all and to advocate for the importance of equality, and human rights. That being said, I am willing to focus on one of these songs throughout the semester to study the importance of these powerful issues. If I had to think about any concerns regarding this project, I would not want to offend or trigger anyone since some of the issues discussed in these songs portray sensitive topics.