Alright, everyone, the time has come. It’s all been fun and games so far, but I think today we need to breach a topic that I have been thinking about for a while. Presumably, you have at the very least tangentially come across it – more likely, you have pondered the question yourself in some form or shape.
The question I would like to raise revolves around separating the art from the artist. I’m pretty sure that the debate has been around for a long (long) time, but in the past couple of years it’s been making news.
Across the realms of music, cinema, television, comedy – entertainment in general – left and right, people in the limelight have been found to have done some wrong, and we must come to terms with whether that alters our perception of their art.
Are the artist and their art inseparable? Is art an expression of self, and thus, their wrongdoings are inherently something that lives in the art?
Does art function autonomously? Is there intrinsic value, letting the art stand alone – if genres or styles that apply to different artists exist, wouldn’t that put us at danger of one artist’s failings blemishing all those similar?
Questions upon questions – all of which I will leave for you to determine for yourselves.
So, today, we talk bluntly about [deep breath]: James Blunt.
Now, I know you will likely all have opinions and so I want to get ahead of anything you might blurt out: I am aware some of you will dislike his music. When Blunt made his big break in Europe with his (third) single, “You’re Beautiful” (2004), the radio waves seemed to loop on end, because please just play any other song for a change!
Anybody else see him sitting out on the ice, singing to the camera (4th wall break, ahoi), while slowly shedding his clothing, before yeeting (it’s a word, google it) himself into the ocean, as the track comes to a close? Pepperidge Farm Remembers!
Alright, I might be overdoing it with the meme-speak – But Blunt has things to say and tell on his 2004 debut, “Back to Bedlam”.
James joined the British army at 24, went to Kosovo alongside NATO at 25, and, alongside his General, refused to embark on a mission, which would have put them in a head-to-head with the Russians, despite American orders.
In “No Bravery”, his sad voice points a finger at the ravages of war that sweep across those trying to live their lives. The titular Bedlam refers to a famous psychiatric hospital in the UK. There is genuine sorrow on display, no need to dig too deep.
So if my appeal to grant his music another listen is not enough to sway you, let me add that he is also just a straight up great guy. The persona that he has built in recent years online is just as much a redeeming quality. Some of his “the artist formerly known as twitter” content is pretty much legendary at this point (see images attached). Plus, his Wikipedia article has a full subsection dedicated to his charity work.
All that is to say: It can be tough to separate the art from the artist, but if you can’t, please just try and remember that James Blunt is a really solid dude.
Coryphe 