[aleuzzi]

Stevie can be political if she wants to be. It is a free country (for now). But people also have the right to be critical of her motives for addressing overt and admittedly on-trend politics in her work. One doesn’t need to be a cynic to think she’s assuming certain political poses to be a part of the national zeitgeist. Given that the overwhelming bulk of her work has serviced her personal mythology, it’s not unreasonable to wonder why she has a sudden passion for civil rights, feminism, and being “woke.”

Even in recent years, she hasn’t demonstrated a heck of a lot of awareness, sensitivity, or tact. This is, after all, the same women who, with Christine, tweeted a pic of herself wearing a face mask as they flew over the burning California forests. Before this, she claimed “Landslide” was written for Katrina and later also said it would make a suitable campaign theme for Hillary’s never realized presidential victory. Unlike Bob Dylan, with whom she classes herself, she is not terribly interested in breaking barriers through her lyrics. But she has exploited topical concerns to prop up her songs.

Mind you, I love her music and have a great deal of respect for her achievement as a cultural phenomenon. Songs like “Nightbird” and “Throw Down” and “Sable on Blonde” and “Gold and Braid” are truly compelling moments of self-absorption. They seek to clarify and define who she was and is at any given moment. And they are entirely hers. When she’s being honest and genuine, she can be remarkable. When she calculates and straps on certain causes, she is embarrassing.