Hi everyone, welcome back! This entry focuses on the power music has as a form of revolution. It has carried the truths of communities. It’s how they tell their stories when they’re ignored, misrepresented, or erased. It’s how truth survives. And most of the time, we don’t fully understand the impact artists or genres have until their truth becomes ours; until those truths are placed on a stage so large they become impossible to ignore.

That history matters when we look at moments like the Super Bowl.

The System Through Sound

Last year, Kendrick Lamar didn’t just perform; he carried hip-hop’s original purpose onto one of the largest stages in the world. His work has always been rooted in truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.

 Watching him perform felt like mocking the “Great American Game,” with Samuel L. Jackson impersonating Uncle Sam, narrating, critiquing, and censoring. Uncle Sam represented the cultural restriction built into the American media system, which decides what gets broadcast, what gets muted, and what parts of culture are allowed to be visible without becoming “too much” or “too ghetto.” 

The Super Bowl is the most televised stage in the world. Kendrick understood the assignment and used the stage and his music to send a message. This performance is a reminder that hip-hop was rooted in a bigger meaning. It was meant to reflect reality, even when people would rather look away.

He recently said in his acceptance speech at the Grammys, “I’m not good at talking about myself, but I express it through the music… Hip-hop is gonna always be right here, we’re gonna be having our folk with us and our culture with us.” 

Showing Up Without Translation

Bad Bunny has never separated his music from what he stands for, and seeing him take that stage felt like an act of representation, for culture, language, and the freedom to exist authentically. Performing entirely in Spanish, he didn’t pause to explain or translate, showing up as his authentic self unapologetically.

 As a Mexican-American, moments like that don’t feel abstract; they feel intentional and personal. Especially in a time when ICE raids and immigration enforcement continue to disrupt and endanger the lives of our communities.

His presence, his performance, was rooted in love and love for culture. It pushed back against the idea that we need to shrink ourselves to be accepted or safe. It reminds us to be proud of where we come from. It showed that our authentic selves don’t need to be edited or translated to belong. When artists choose to show up this way, they’re not just performing; they’re standing up for the communities that raised them and creating space for the rest of us to be seen for who we are.

He also spoke up during his acceptance for Album of the Year. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we are humans, and we are Americans…The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love… if we fight, we have to do it with love.” 

I admire the artists who use music and the stage as their battlefield, and I hope they continue to fight for our truths.

Future of the Stage

The future of music feels less about spectacle and more about intention. As audiences become more aware, the stage is turning into a space where artists are expected to show up honestly, not hide behind performance alone. Artists like Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny are showing what it looks like to use that visibility in music to speak truth, protect and represent culture, and stand in purpose without compromising themselves. In these uncertain times, I believe this is where music is headed: the stage won’t just be a platform for entertainment, but a place where artists help shape what we’re willing to see, hear, and stand for next. 

Thanks for reading <3

-Elise