Billie Eilish Agrees With Tyler, The Creator: “Urban” Shouldn’t Be A Music Category

The recent protests haven’t just caused politicians and government officials to re-evaluate their policies, but businesses as well. On Friday (June 5), Republic Records announced that they have decided to do away with the word “urban” to describe particular styles of music. The word “urban” has been debated for some time, and even Tyler the Creator got in on the conversation when he shared that he wasn’t a fan of the term. In her recent GQ feature, Billie Eilish agreed with the IGOR artist.

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After winning a Grammy for Best Rap Album, Tyler was backstage giving an interview and said, “I’m very grateful that what I made could just be acknowledged in a world like this, but, also, it sucks that whenever we – and I mean guys that look like me – do anything that’s genre-bending, they always put it in a ‘rap’ or ‘urban’ category. I don’t like that ‘urban’ word – it’s just a politically correct way to say the n-word, to me. Why can’t we just be in pop?”

In her recent interview, Billie Eilish echoed Tyler’s sentiments and stated that she’s never been a fan of categories. “I hate when people say, ‘Oh, you look like ‘blank.’ You sound like ‘blank.’’ It was such a cool thing Tyler said. I agree with him about that term,” Billie stated. “Don’t judge an artist off the way someone looks or the way someone dresses. Wasn’t Lizzo in the Best R&B category that night? I mean, she’s more pop than I am.”

Billie Eilish added, “Look, if I wasn’t white I would probably be in ‘rap’. Why? They just judge from what you look like and what they know. I think that is weird. The world wants to put you into a box; I’ve had it my whole career. Just because I am a white teenage female I am pop. Where am I pop? What part of my music sounds like pop?” Do you agree that the word “urban” should be done away with when describing music?

[via]