Mad Emotional Appeal

As candidates of the 2016  presidential election made claims to prioritize the black minority in hopes of courting the black vote, I came upon singer and song-writer Solange Knowles’s visual album, A Seat at the Table, which she described as “a project on identity, empowerment, independence, grief and healing.” Her song “Mad” delves into the oppression of blacks, particularly females, expressing anger. “I ran into this girl, she said, ‘Why you always blaming?’ ‘Why can’t just face it’ ‘Why you always gotta be so mad?’ I got a lot to be mad about” (Knowles). Speaking in conversational first person, Solange made me feel trusted. It was as if she was reaching out to me -- as one of her good friends-- for support, and I felt a sense of dominance and responsibility. With a sudden assertion of power, I checked myself over to ensure that I did not make the mistake of oppressing black anger. Her outro, an emotionally conclusive entreaty, targeted my empathy. “ I ran into this girl, I said, ‘I’m tired of explaining.’ Man, this shit is draining. But I’m not really allowed to be mad” (Knowles). An important component that strengthens her fight on this issue is her use of an airy head voice to assume a vulnerable tone. There’s a bouncy slow rhythm that’s hypnotizing and nostalgic, like the rocking of a baby in a mother's lap. There is no anger or aggression in her voice, simply exhaustion and grief. I felt sympathy for this exposure of feelings. Her poetic tactics succeed at making me emotionally stirred and persuaded to defend African Americans’ right to be angry; Knowles thereby gracefully molded me into a partisan of social change.