I finally got around to watching the newest episodes of season five of Black Mirror, Netflix's much-loved sci-fi/horror anthology series. While "Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too" was not my favorite episode of the season, I found the tunes from the episode stuck in my head. In particular, Ashley O's single, 'On A Roll', kind of started growing on me.
I was shocked to see the song included in Spotify's 'Today's Top Hits' and 'Pop Rising' playlists, listed beside songs from artists such as Justin Bieber, Juice WRLD, Lil Nas X, and Camila Cabello. I put my AirPods on and listened to it just for kicks. But, the thing is, I actually started to like the song. I even added it to my 'Summer 2019' playlist and turn it on when I need a fun song to listen to.
The episode touches upon the issue of split identities and struggling personalities faced by artists who deal with the constant pressures of being in the spotlight. Because of Ashley O being played by Miley Cyrus and other various characteristics of the fictional singer (such as her wig and sparkly outfits), fans are quick to assume that the episode is a direct reference to Hannah Montana. After all, it was pretty evident that Miley had some struggles with juggling both of the identities, along with being her own, independent person, separate from Hannah.
People usually don't take music from a fictional artist as seriously as they would a singer from the real world. The music coming from the speakers and radios around us seem to be more worthy of our listening and enjoyment than the music playing behind the television screen. The nonfictional artists that breathe the same air as you and I seem to be more worthy of our praise and streaming than the fictional singers from your favorite television show.
This baffles my mind because, as viewers, it's not like we consider all music from cinema to be irrelevant; we do take some music from the fictional world seriously. 'Shallow' from Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born went on to win a Grammy. So, it's pretty evident that at least some music from movies and shows are capable of being praise-worthy.
I hear music from A Star Is Born all over the radio; people don't seem to have a problem with loving Bradley and Lady Gaga's music from this cinematic masterpiece. Why, then, are some people so quick to judge 'On A Roll'? It is because it's technically sung by a performer who seems like a cliché, childish pop singer?
Setting aside the fact that Ashley O only exists in the made-up world of a single Black Mirror episode, her music is actually catchy and fun to listen to. Plus, Miley is a real person, so it's not like the music is fake. If you see anyone jamming out to 'On A Roll', trust the millions of Spotify users who have streamed it and give it a chance.
Ashley O – On a Roll | Official Music Videowww.youtube.com
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