Second Take: Fans have the ability to hold artists accountable and should do so more frequently

Lights aren’t the only thing blinding The Weeknd’s fanbase.

The Canadian artist, born Abel Tesfaye, was recently under fire for his tone-deaf reaction to a Rolling Stone article detailing the allegations of gross misogyny on the set of his upcoming HBO show, “The Idol.” Rather than apologizing or directly addressing the contents of the article, The Weeknd, a cast member and co-creator, tweeted “Did we upset you?” alongside a clip from the show in which his character chastises the publication.

Predictably, many of The Weeknd’s fans expressed great disappointment toward his dismissive response. However, if one listens to his lyrics closely, they’ll realize that The Weeknd has a long history of incorporating bigoted attitudes into his music. Ultimately, the aftermath of The Weeknd’s response exemplifies a rather ugly pattern of fanbases ignoring, and sometimes even encouraging, their favorite artists’ toxic behavior until they see fit.

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Recently breaking Spotify’s all-time monthly listeners record, The Weeknd is one of the most successful artists in the world. He currently has seven No. 1 singles, four Grammys and a Superbowl halftime show under his belt. In spite of his immense popularity, fans and critics have dismissed his problematic lyricism for years.

In his 2016 song “Reminder,” The Weeknd claims he “got a sweet Asian chick, she go lo mein.” Blatantly sexist and racist, this line’s reference to an ethnic dish adds another layer of dehumanization, as the fetishization of East Asian women is an ongoing issue in the United States. The Weeknd’s discography is also plagued with queer-phobic undertones, as exemplified by the 2019 track “Lost in the Fire.” He sings, “You said you might be into girls, you said you’re going through a phase” before vulgarly describing the sexual acts he would do to her.

When The Weeknd was finally confronted about the harmful themes in his music in a 2020 interview with Esquire, he simply responded that he takes on different personas for each of his songs and that the views expressed in them are not a direct reflection of his beliefs. Nevertheless, the fact that The Weeknd is willingly choosing to take up these questionable guises is still troubling.

Unfortunately, the fans that have acknowledged his corrosive song material aren’t calling The Weeknd out. If anything, they are doing the exact opposite, as there are entire Twitter threads dedicated to The Weeknd fans’ favorite toxic lyrics. Consequently, The Weeknd will continue writing such material and even upholding his abhorrent mindset, which was illustrated by his contemptuous response to the Rolling Stone article.

The Weeknd’s dispute with Rolling Stone is only the latest case of fanbases not holding their favorite artists accountable until the greater public is. For instance, rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, found himself at the center of controversy for various antisemitic comments he made last year, including one stating that he “saw good things about (Adolf) Hitler.” Subsequently, several high-profile brands, including Adidas and Balenciaga, cut ties with him, and many of his fans declared that they would stop listening to him.

Although many of Ye’s listeners were surprised by his hateful remarks, he has a history of perpetuating harm toward his own community. Such examples include claiming that convicted rapist Bill Cosby was innocent, racism was an outdated concept and 400 years of slavery was “a choice.” If West faced enough backlash for these past proclamations, he likely wouldn’t have as large a platform to make his most recent assertions.

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Furthermore, the ramifications of ignoring artists’ early behavior extend beyond problematic lyrics and bigoted statements. Travis Scott is now infamous for the 2021 Astroworld Festival, where eight people were crushed to death during the show and two more died from injuries sustained because of the lack of safety guidelines. However, Scott is known for inciting chaos at his events and has even pleaded guilty twice to disorderly conduct at his concerts. If Scott’s previous history was acknowledged, he most likely would have implemented stricter rules at his festival and promoted a safer environment.

Moreover, the ongoing issue of musician worship within fanbases begs the question of whether art can truly be separated from the artist. Although one can argue that bad people can make good music, supporting these problematic musicians is inherently destructive to the communities they constantly degrade. By listening to artists’ work without calling them out for their actions, listeners are encouraging the musicians to impose more harm upon these groups.

Needless to say, people need to stop ignoring their favorite artists’ problematic behavior. If a musician is embroiled in controversy, their fans should hold them accountable. In doing so, artists will hopefully be more motivated to rectify their actions. If not, listeners should stop listening to them and dedicate their time to singers who are both talented and principled.

No matter how much some of them preach it, artists are far from gods.