To ask why do so many artists

[Pinklady1982]

Swear in songs now?? Especially ones that they know kids idolise!? I mean my dd8 was listening to Ariana Grande and came across one of her songs and started playing it, I recognised the song from the radio but hadn’t really heard it before if you know what I mean, so wasn’t prepared for what the YouTube version would be like.. I was just quite shocked at the lyrics as so many kids love her, I wonder why her and many others now do this (Justin beiber included) when they know kids may come across these versions occasionally!? And before I’m judged for letting my dd watch YouTube, she doesn’t have the app and just asks occasionally to listen to songs she likes so she can watch the videos, so I go onto it through safari and will bring up and watch it with her most of the time (in case there is any inappropriate content) but I didn’t think I had to worry with Ariana Grande!!

Think they're aiming for an older market usually so yabu.

It’s easier to break in to the younger market. But they don’t actually care about the fans. They start being “edgy” in an attempt to be taken seriously by an older cohort. It’s very cynical.

Swearing is being normalised. You just have to read here how often it is used when there is no need. People who swear are rarely fully capable to control themselves, especially when angry/upset/excited and only do so with specific audience.

It reminds me of that viral video of the girl at the door saying to her mum 'theres a f* goat' and somehow, everyone think it's funny. I think it's very sad.

It's not new. Just listening to the opening bars of 'Plaistow Patricia' by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and that's from the 70s!

A lot of child stars like that make huge concentrated efforts to seperate themselves from their kid images as soon as they’re able to, and grow with their audience. Ariana Grande has been wearing latex playboy bunny outfits in her music videos and making highly sexualised music since 2014.

They’re not the Wiggles, you can’t expect them to stick to one image forever because they happen to have picked up an unintended audience.

YABU for not paying attention to what your DD is consuming.

Ariana Grande songs are very sexually explicit, have you not noticed?? She’s an adult and isn’t responsible for what your children might hear unsupervised.

I remember the horror on playing my new Beautiful South cassette on Christmas Day in front of my family and discovering that there was a different version of Don't Marry Her...

Ed Stewart once made the same mistake on Radio 2

It is different when children make up a core part of your audience though.

I'm no prude about swearing, but it is best saved for dramatic impact. It's a shame when it's diluted by gratuitous over use.

Because Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber aren't responsible for raising your children?

Considering her latest single is called 34+35 I think the swearing is the least of your worries. They're artists, they can make whatever music they like, it's up to you to monitor what you want your children listening to (not that I really believe in stopping kids listening to songs with a swear word in them).

I'd say generally YANBU, it's all far too common and accessible. But the swearing doesn't bother me half as much as the content; all the talk of sex and drugs and endlessly buying diamonds does.

but I didn’t think I had to worry with Ariana Grande!!

This is the line in your post I thought was a bit of a stretch. She doesn't come across overly innocent!

@vivainsomnia

Swearing is being normalised. You just have to read here how often it is used when there is no need. People who swear are rarely fully capable to control themselves, especially when angry/upset/excited and only do so with specific audience.

Very snobby. Studies show that people who swear are generally more intelligent

YABU. Arianna Grande is nearly 30, married and a grown woman - her original fans from tv shows and early music are nearly the same age, she can't continue to market herself (and doesn't) for new fans like your DD, otherwise she'd be churning out the same things year after year.

Stick to her early stuff, or put parental controls on YouTube - should stop 'explicit' songs playing!

I don't think any one artist is responsible for their young audience, but I think you're right that it's a general trend that that's increasing. It's much, much harder to compile a playlist of recent, mainstream pop music for kids parties that isn't full of swearing than it used to be, for example. Me and DP listen to a lot of pop and have had to let go a bit on that front even when around the kids because it's become so difficult to avoid.

It's primarily in the US, much less swearing in British pop, and I've wondered why as well, but it's hard to say from this side of the pond. Perhaps their culture around swearing is changing.

Seriously guys, who said I am placing them personally responsible for raising my child!? Smh... I was just asking if I was being unreasonable for being surprised by it really. I was sitting right next to her so turned it straight off and I already said I do monitor what she watches, but accept I am maybe behind he times a bit so Abu in that respect

I don't worry about swearing in music, I worry more about the general message. My kids have learned swearing from school, but they know not to swear at home (unless something painful is about to happen - like cleaning a wound, then I let them swear if it helps!). My daughter (9) loves music and there are sweary artists that I don't worry about her listening to, as I think they make good music and deliver positive messages (i.e. Frank Turner, Pink). There are also artists that I discourage, due to misogyny or other negative messages (with or without swearing). I think it's easy to get too hung up on swearing.

Also, I know she will and does hear swearing in everyday life, it can’t be helped and she knows not to repeat anything, I just wouldn’t purposely put songs on with swear words with her around. I know I can’t protect her from everything and that’s not what my post is about, I was literally just asking why so many artists do it now. I just find it quite shocking really, but if that’s how the world is going it’s sad but I will need to accept it