For decades, due to British and American influences on music culture, English has served as the common language of the pop music industry. Historically non-speaking English singers often faced pressure to change their lyrics to English to achieve more recognition. They have to fix their own, unique pieces to fit into what would actually go viral, stripping away the true enjoyment of music, and turning it into a competition as to who would make the most viral song. However, recent shifts in the industry, driven by global fans have begun to change this norm. People are starting to support non-English singing artists and giving more attention to diversity.
Artists like Bad Bunny have proven that language barriers are no longer a problem. Bad Bunny, who performs almost entirely in Spanish, has topped global charts and set multiple trends while staying true to his native language. Language barriers not only were unable to stop him from getting more than 100 million views on his song dtmf on YouTube, and he was even invited to perform at the Super Bowl.
Songwriters should not have to write or perform songs in English. Language carries identity and emotion that can’t always be translated. When artists switch their songs to English due to the pressures of fame, they lose the originality that make their work unique.
That said, we can’t change this problem with only one person. Change can only be accomplished by changing the whole structure of music virality. Streaming platforms can include more multilingual discovery by adding more diverse playlists and adjusting recommendations. Music awards should also treat non-English singers as part of the mainstream, rather than just giving them a separate international section. By supporting diversity and seeking languages beyond English, we can teach audiences about the beauty of multi-cultural music and build an entire new spectrum of music.