Where on earth are YOUR heroes?

Pop sensation Harry Styles

In light of recent events in the Middle East, and now Missouri, one has to wonder the whereabouts of the spearheads of today's culture. Surely, does Harry Styles not have the perfect platform to reach millions? Can Drake not speak up and reach an audience?

It really bugs me that 60s musicians get a lot of flack from the majority of youth today given, not only their immense talent, but their ability to make a change. Okay, your Grandad might listen to John Lennon, and therefore you may not find him 'cool.' However, John Lennon spoke up for a generation of Americans in a time of crisis, he wasn't even American! He used his huge popularity gained by his work in The Beatles to speak out and reach people.

Bob Dylan did the same. Using his brand of topical songwriting, and supported by other folk musicians of the day, including Peter, Paul & Mary, Donovan and Tom Paxton, Dylan's writing spoke to many about the state of warfare and how the Vietnam War was wrong. He used his power over the youth, as a singer, to help create a movement, a revolution.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono
promoting 'Bed Peace'

Of course, there were other people involved in the 1960s America anti-war revolution, to name a few were Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King and Country Joe McDonald, among hundreds of others. I also understand that many young people in fact adore Bob Dylan, John Lennon and their peers. I just have to wonder if the musicians of today really do match up to their predecessors?

Pop star and icon Katy Perry

In a society where millions and millions of people can idolise a single band, whom may not even write their own songs, one must wonder whether these 'artists' really understand their own power. Could a cavalier speech from Katy Perry spark a fire of anti-racism from millions of teenagers? Would a song by One Direction not save millions of lives by promoting the peace movement in Gaza?  Sadly, given the state of the music industry today, we may never know.

M x