Destiny's Child - 'Say My Name'

Even popular music questions name politics, as heard in songs such as Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name.” In all the previous examples, names are often taken away as means of social control and dominance; yet this single from 2000 reclaims the power of a name; specifically, when their partners refuse to say their names over the phone (with the implications of adultery). 

In the first verse, one of the singers states that "I am not the one to sit around and be played/So prove yourself to me/I'm the girl that you claim/Why don't you say the things/That you said to me yesterday?" Suspicious as to why her name is not being used in conversation, she states outright that her name needs to be connected to his claim. By asking the men to vocalize their names so that anyone – including an oblivious other woman – can hear, they are highlighting the innate connection between name and personhood. If he continues to speak to hear without address, no one can identify and pass judgment on the other side of the line. 

In this admittedly humorous example, the name continues to have connection with one’s own body. By voicing a name, we automatically think about them as a person. As discussed in Socrates, there is no separation between symbol and intended object, thus giving the symbol a greater semblance of power. The woman wants her name said as a term of respect, thus empowering her own physical identity. If the man in question is able to “say [her] name,” he is actually showing his commitment to her as a person. As popular music becomes more female-dominated, the resurgence of songs that follow similar trains of thought is unsurprising. 

The song also highlights the changing technology in our modern culture; with the rise of the internet and search engines, the connection between name and self-identity is more immediate than ever. By making our names into keywords, we create instantaneous links between a person’s accomplishments and news-worthy events, with the name as the central unifier. Just as names once resulted in power struggles between the dominator and the suppliant, we being defined again by society’s ability to control our names.