Recently, there has been drama arising around the situation of the artist known as D4VD. He has blown up all over social media after making music for his Fortnite videos. However, allegations surrounding his alleged 15-year-old girlfriend being found dead in the trunk of his car have arisen, which could end his music career. Posts began flooding social media regarding whether people should still listen to his music after his actions.

Music is a form of expression that everybody experiences at some point in their lives. Whether you created music in your middle school band class or you have thousands of hours on Spotify, music is an integral part of how people express themselves. However, when an artist expresses themselves in concerning ways, some question how their actions and expressions affect our moral consciousness as a listener. Music can be interpreted in many different ways. Music isn’t just the expression of the artist. For us, listening to the music you enjoy listening to is more important than others’ interpretation of the music. The meaning can change from person to person. It’s important to recognize that we should not criticize one person’s interpretation of the situation just because it differs from another’s interpretation.

The internet seems relatively split on this topic. Some believe that an artist’s art should be separate from their actions. Others believe that an artist’s actions should reflect on the interpretation of their music and whether or not people should continue to listen to the artist’s music. 

Whether one wishes to continue listening to his music or not, people should still be able to interpret and listen to the music they enjoy.