In a recent interview with Essence Magazine, Dionne Warwick announced her newest album titled, She’s Back. After serving 58 years of top chart classics to people of not only her own generation but those of this generation as well, Dionne Warwick officially classifies herself as an “Icon”. In classifying herself she, at the same time, discredited many that we today accredit with “Icon Status.”
“I don’t know if 10 years from now, anybody can actually sing the songs of our babies today.”
This interview sent twitter into a frenzy, especially when Warwick began questioning none other than, Beyoncé Knowles Carter.
“Watching her growth has been quite refreshing. It’s wonderful to see how she’s been able to create what and who she wanted to be and who she is… very proud of that, I really am. Now sustaining and becoming a big icon that a Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle. or a Johnny Mathis, or a Frank Sinatra, or Sammy Davis Jr. is? I doubt that.”
While it is very hard to have an original sound and to transcend musically across generations, cultures and social demographics; most if not all millennials can agree that many artist today do just that. Beyoncé alone has broken many of records throughout her 20+ year music career, including 23 Grammys, 26 VMAs, and many others. Beyoncé is not alone in her iconic walk of fame though. Just recently Rihanna has been announced as the richest female musician, and has taken 9 Grammys herself. Despite her opinion, today’s artist or “babies” as she calls them, have proven that although Ms. Warwick may not consider them icons, there is an abundance of talent and iconic statuses that the rest of the world can not deny.
