I remember spending so much time in my high school years trying to fit in with white people and adopt their musical tastes. Years of “oh my god the Beatles are the best band of all time” and “I can’t BELIEVE you never listened to Pink Floyd”. But on the same note, they never asked about what my family listened to when I was growing up. Never once wondered about what we played at BBQs and what music made my soul feel full.
This is not to say black people cant and don’t listen to these bands (and bands like theirs.) But there was such a specific feeling of erasure that I didn’t realize I was experiencing. Like my music taste wasn’t “good” because I didn’t know certain music.
I wish I could go back and tell 16 year old me that all of my feelings were valid and I didn’t have to listen to things you couldn’t sway your hips to. That I didn’t have to prove anything to anyone.
THIS.