I resist the gaze created by the times. I make and put on the crown myself.
BASQUIAT by PENTAGON 2020
Hello, coffee lovers and avid readers! Welcome to Olive’s Tasty Quotas at Olive’s Café, where you get a taste of philosophy and messages from works of art.
The quote that I will be talking about is the quote that I carry with me every day since I first listened to the song, although the quote only appeared in the performance video, and it made the song more meaningful. I came across the song BASQUIAT BY PENTAGON because I was starting to get into them in the beginning of 2020, and I was growing an interest in the group. They were participating in a competition called ROAD TO KINGDOM, a program on MNET which serves as a preliminary of KINGDOM in which 7 KPOP boy groups had to perform to get into KINGDOM. The song was created for the finale of the show, and it gave me CHILLS! It was inspired by the works of art by Jean-Michel Basquiat, and the song, along with his artwork, expresses freedom in the times of restriction.
I listen to this song with every chance I got, from the moment it was released before the performance to now, and I’m constantly reminded that I have a place in this world with my voice. Before, I was told that there’s no money in art; I should do something more practical; I should do something that will get you paid; I should do this; I should do that—and it goes on. This song just expresses how I feel: to passionately tell people to SHUT THE HELL UP. Artists have so much to offer in this world, and all they need is a vision and a voice. Just imagine hearing someone, whether they are close to you or not, telling you that you’re going to starve, you’re not gonna win, no one will listen to you, and you’re not gonna make it. The message implies the opposite, and it’s doing magic, not just for the listeners, but also for artists like me.
The song, and the quote, is meaningful because it speaks volumes about how we feel in the world. We constantly fight for our voices to be heard when we’re shut down by others because we’re not up to the standards of society, especially when our work is not aesthetically pleasing, and it doesn’t appease to the spectators. Basically, the song and quote are just a big FUCK YOU to them because what we create, what we invent is ours and it expresses what we do as artists and who we are as human beings.
The song itself is different from most mainstream songs, in my opinion, because it SPEAKS UP and it SPEAKS OUT. There are other songs that are in the same realm, but this song speaks to me as it speaks for me when I’m struggling to find the right words to say, “FUCK THIS SHIT! I’LL MAKE MY OWN CROWN! I’LL CREATE MY LEGACY!” It speaks against oppression and suppression, two things that I’m against. I wake up the moment the song is blared through my phone as my alarm, and the first thing I think about is what I need to do to conquer the day. Truthfully, it took a lot for me do more art because at some point, I lost confidence and motivation to be the artist I wanted to be. However, I remind myself that I need to keep going, whether they find my voice interesting or not. The song gave me confidence again as an artist, and that I belong here in this realm. I got back on my feet and started writing and drawing again.
The quote is the pledge that we resist the judgment given to us that no matter how many people watch us, no matter what the expectations are set upon us, we will be not silenced. The song itself is the anthem, at least for me as an artist, as it demonstrates that we all have and serve a purpose in this world. I know several people that treat this song as an anthem as a way to conquer what seems impossible, but once we speak, it opens doors of opportunities. On a side note, I can play this song while reading The Hunger Games trilogy. In the third book, Katniss Everdeen uses her voice for a movement in District 13 to overthrow The Capitol, and she says this quote, “Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!” The Hunger Games Trilogy: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. It’s another quote I would like to explore, but that’s for another time. The point is that our voice moves mountains.
One thing’s for sure, everyone has a VOICE, whether you’re an artist, a scientist, an inventor, a philanthropist, or even an entrepreneur. Be the new BASQUIAT, and resist the gaze created by the times. Put on that crown you made yourself.
Thank you for tuning in on Olive’s Tasty Quotas at Olive’s Café!
PENTAGON – ‘Basquiat’ Performance Video
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