The most impressive thing about MUSIC VIDEO this week from my perspective is the spirit of the freedom of expression. Learning the history from MTV to music videos on various social platforms, I feel that the current development of aesthetics and technology has allowed people to enjoy the maximum display of creativity. It seems that as long as we have inspiration, we can make it and post it on social media, sharing it with everyone. The convenience of editing and filming applications on smartphones and computers accelerates the spirit of unrestricted speech in this era. However, it is not the truth in many regions. There are so many countries where people are not allowed to publish music videos such as This Is America which contains the singer’s political positions. The most touching thing about music videos, as a personal thought, is their influential sensibility derived from musical art forms and the author’s thoughts conveyed. It’s like two pillars supporting the music palace. However, if singers or artists are prohibited to express freely, this limitation equals manipulating the very foundation of art, consequently, destroying the spirit of creation.
Therefore, in this post, I don’t want to analyse the theories of different types of musical performances. But simply express my own worries about a country’s future of freedom in respect of this field. What shocks me about This is America is that it artistically expresses the singer’s dissatisfaction and complaints against the status quo of American society in a way that people can resonate with. I admire this because I can barely see this kind of theme in China. People would not express their political views on music videos, because they do not want to get into trouble. It is acknowledged that the youth are increasingly reluctant to watch the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, in spite of the fantastic performances of acrobatics, talk shows, and other performances, for the stereotyped promotional topics of a great nation are increasingly unintelligent and even annoying for the youth. With the ban on free expression, the progress of technology and the advancement of equipment do not represent the true art of music, no matter how many social platforms have posted the songs. I didn’t watch many music videos before, mainly listening to songs, but in retrospect, I have never listened to any songs with political inclinations. Under this circumstance, how could Chinese singers create a brilliant future in the way of art?

Student number:33764430

Jingya Yu (Olivia)