Page 114 of August Lane
Jojo:
I don’t know. And to be honest with you, I don’t care. There. You got the clickbait. Jojo Lane doesn’t give a shit about why that girl sang her song.
Emma:
We can move on if you like.
Jojo:
Hold on. I want to tell you why. I don’t care because it’s not for me. I’m not her audience. And that’s okay. Musicisn’t supposed to speak to everyone. You lose the point if you try.
Emma:
The point?
Jojo:
The message. The heart. If you’re not speaking to a certain someone, you’re speaking to no one. Charlotte wasn’t talking to me when she sang about feeling invisible. She was talking to a girl dealing with things thirty-something white girls deal with these days.
Emma:
Wow. Lots to unpack there. Don’t you think some themes are universal?
Jojo:
I’m not talking about themes. Themes grab your attention, but they don’t hold it. Someone sings a revenge song, and your brain says, I know this story. I’ve listened to “Goodbye Earl” and “Before He Cheats.” I like songs like these because they remind me of my no-good ex. This is gonna be worth my time. But then the song plays, and the story gets specific in a way that either pulls you closer because it feels like your truth or pushes you away because it feels like someone else’s. Some people get angry when their experience is shoved to the margins.
