Zelensky at the Grammys.

 

"Our musicians wear body armour instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals — even to those who can’t hear them. But the music will break through anyway. We defend our freedom to live, to love, to sound. On our land, we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs — the dead silence. Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story. Tell the truth about this war on your social networks, on TV."

Does a world leader belong on an awards show? Who knows?! You could criticize the logic: Why would the glamorous celebrities at their awards show be the ones to tell what Zelensky calls "our story"? He's inviting others to appropriate his people's story. And yet, as he says, they are silenced, so he chooses to rely on others to get the story out. Whether they can do it skillfully or not, he is desperate, and he means to convey desperation. Stop what you are doing — enjoying the pleasures of peace and freedom — and make my cause yours!

And there is a music tradition of singing about the needs of others.

 

ADDED: I wanted to call up a Spotify playlist that highlights white artists in the 1960s who sang in support of the civil rights movement, but that's not easy to do! The list I've embedded has many black artists, and I think if I want an all-white playlist of civil rights movement songs, I'd have to put it together myself. 

HERE: I made a modest effort:

BUT: Maybe Zelensky only meant: Use your social media to write about the war, not your music talent. Your musical ability is what got you a huge following on Twitter and Instagram. That's why you matter. I want you to pass things along. 

There's no reason to believe these music stars will get things right as they attempt to do politics (and propaganda). If you subtract the music, what do you have?