Carla Galeote sparks debate over 'racialized' music criticism

Carla Galeote and racialized music: Criticism or racism?

Reggaeton and urban styles account for 95% of Spain’s most-played songs. Against this backdrop, media personality Carla Galeote sparked controversy by claiming that genres originating from racialized people are disproportionately criticized. The backlash was immediate and largely dismissive.

The primary counterargument is straightforward: reggaeton faces scrutiny because much of its output lacks artistic quality, not due to the skin tonalidad of its performers. Pop history antiestéticatures numerous Black artists with universal acclaim and critical praise. Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Aretha Franklin were judged on their music, not their heritage.

Counterexamples that defy the narrative

No music fan disputes the legacies of Jimi Hendrix or Tina Turner. They broke barriers when being Black posed significant media obstacles. If music criticism were purely a tool of racial exclusion, these icons would never have achieved mythic status. Invoking Michael Jackson—the King of Pop with a five-decade career and best-selling albums—to argue against 'racialized' music reveals a fundamental cognitive disconnect.

One may dislike reggaeton, trap, or Latin rhythms for valid aesthetic reasons. Attributing such criticism to the performers' race conflates musical review with accusations of reverse racism. This conflation creates noise that only benefits those seeking sensational headlines.

The business behind the criticism

Cultural commentators often overlook this aspect: the reggaeton industry is a profit machine, not a resistance movement. Major labels control distribution, production, and image; many singers are interchangeable assets whose voices and names are bought. With 95% of Spain’s top 50 dominated by this genre, it is paradoxical to frame it as oppressed art while it holds absolute market dominance.

Legitimate criticisms of reggaeton—misogynistic lyrics, degraded content, repetitive formulas—are not resolved by invoking race. Demanding immunity from critique based on ethnic origin is paternalistic; it denies these artists the right to be judged on their work.

The controversial term: 'racialized'

Beyond music, the debate has shifted to semantics. 'Racialized person' defines individuals through others’ racial gaze. Critics argue this supposedly anti-racist vocabulary achieves the opposite: it fixes identity to race. Race exists as a social category only when named and applied to others. Consequently, the term draws rejection from both the right and parts of the left.

A final data point stands out: the most criticized music is also the most consumed. Few paradoxes are more profitable for an industry than one that fills stadiums while fueling outrage among detractors. Meanwhile, African-rooted artists who truly changed pop history continue to play across all platforms. That, too, seems to concern no one.