“We Ain’t Gonna Stop Cause They Tell Us To” – Protest Music in a Time of Dual Pandemics

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2024-06-14
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en
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The year 2020 marked a period of profound upheaval, defined by the emergence of COVID- 19 and the tragic murder of George Floyd. This thesis investigates the rise of protest music during this period, focusing on Anderson .Paak’s song “Lockdown” as a case study. Despite extensive literature on COVID-19, systemic racism, and their intersection, there is a noticeable gap in understanding how the convergence of these crises can catalyze activism through music. This research aims to address this gap by examining how .Paak’s song “Lockdown” uses the backdrop of the pandemic to encourage activism for racial justice by framing COVID-19 and systemic racism as “dual pandemics”. The key message of this research is that protest music, exemplified by “Lockdown,” not only raises awareness of societal issues but has the ability to mobilize collective action, even when physical protests are restricted.
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