If art imitates life and life imitates art, then that leaves little room for any distinction between the two. With the level of celebrity obsession in our culture made possible by an overwhelming number of invasive paparazzi, gossip sites and tabloids we've been able to hoard over both from artists. When a musician writes about a difficult experience, we know what incident he's referring to and all the specific details not given in the song.
There's no such thing as a secret sex tape, a drug problem kept under wraps or hidden dysfunction in the celebrity world we know everything. That can certainly affect how we view an artist as a person, but should it affect how we view his or her art?
When Britney Spears comes on the radio, you may not be able to avoid thinking of her tumultuous journey from her Mickey Mouse Club days to the present and all the controversy that follows her. Britney or rather, the writer of her lyrics was aware that most people were following her in entertainment news, so there was no point in veiling any sentiments about it. The shaven-head, driving-with-a-baby-in-her-lap Britney and the international pop star Britney became one and the same.
Similarly, an Amy Winehouse song may conjure images of the drug-addled, disheveled singer. But Winehouse sings about her life and of course the numerous allusions to drugs in her songs are going to bring to mind her real problems with addiction.
In those cases, we see the inseparability of the personal life and work of a performer. Even though we may criticize performers' messy lives, we can still appreciate their songs, especially since we know the ideas and emotions conveyed through the songs are genuine.
But the late Michael Jackson obtained an interesting duality during his life, simultaneously bearing the titles of "King of Pop" and "Wacko Jacko." His transition from a wonder kid to an ultimate pop star occurred under the ever-watchful public eye. The media not only reported on his induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, 13 Grammy wins and record-breaking success of his singles, but also on his personal problems and physical transformations.
The controversy surrounding Neverland Ranch, his holding a baby out of a window, the multiple facial surgeries these changed how we viewed Michael Jackson as a person, but as an artist, he was still the King of Pop. While you may be reminded of the train wrecks that Britney and Winehouse's lives once were when you hear a song of theirs, nothing of the sort happens when a Michael Jackson classic is played. Because when "Thriller" comes on, you emulate the signature dance from the music video; when you hear "Beat It," you kick out your leg while envisioning yourself in a red leather jacket; and when "Billie Jean" is played, you give your best attempt at the moonwalk. People may have mocked the man, but they revered the music.
Part of what makes art and music so powerful is that it they're created with emotion, thought and intent by people who come complete with flaws, problems and bad decisions. Sometimes their work embraces those faults and sometimes it rises above them. If a piece of music moves you, why should you give it less merit when you find out its creator has an unstable or troubled personal life? After all, from great suffering comes great art.
