The Music World Unites for #BlackOutTuesday 

As the world continues to rage against racial discrimination amid the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in the US, musicians world over are taking a stand by initiating and partaking in the #BlackOutTuesday movement. 

For those of you who have been scrolling through Instagram and Twitter, you will have seen squares of black flooding your feed. The pictures are just one aspect of #BlackOutTuesday – a move by the music world that has seen performers, writers, record labels and more join in. The campaign marks the day that the international music industry has halted all business. 

As a way of paying respect to George Floyd, countless others who have lost their lives to racial profiling and discrimination, and draw attention to the fight against prejudice, artists like Beyonce, Alicia Keys and more have all taken part in #BlackOutTuesday. The roster of artists extends itself minute by minute. 

While many artists post the blank, black template, others have elaborated their stand in the captions following their posts. Along side the #BlackOutTuesday hashtag, the hashtag #ShowMustBePaused is also being circulated widely by larger music collectives like YouTube Music, the Recording Academy and Universal Music Group. 

The furor surrounding George Floyd’s murder continues in full swing, as protestors march out onto the streets. And while the citizens of the US mobilise to fight against racial prejudice, the music industry has taken its fight to the streets as well. J Cole, Ariana Grande and Halsey, many have marched out onto the streets, to join protests on the ground. 

By: Ahalya Narayanan