THE EXPRESSION OF COLOURISM THROUGH LYRICS IN KENYAN MUSIC VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE

Abstract

Colourism, which is discrimination based on variations in skin tone remains a controversial yet influential form of bias in media representation. This study examines how colourism is constructed and communicated through lyrics in Kenyan music videos available on YouTube. The unit of analysis is the lyrical content of the songs, with limited contextual attention to the visual presence of performers only in so far as it illuminates the meanings attached to the lyrics. Using a qualitative content analysis design, guided by thematic coding data were collected through direct observation of selected videos released between January 2022 and June 2025. To ensure contemporary relevance and broad cultural reach, the study focused on videos that had accumulated more than ten million views at the moment of data collection. Forty music videos were purposively sampled targeting an even representation from five popular Kenyan music genres:  Afro-pop, Gengetone, hip-hop, Swahili music influenced by Bongo Flava, and indigenous genres (particularly Ohangla and Benga). The findings indicate that the lyrics frequently associate lighter skin with inherent beauty and romantic desirability, whereas admiration for darker skin is often qualified or requires explicit justification, or is basically through sexualisation This study contributes to scholarship on colourism by demonstrating how popular Kenyan music may reproduce skin-tone hierarchies and shape perceptions of beauty in digital spaces. It concludes that widely viewed YouTube music videos can reinforce colourist ideals, potentially affecting viewers’ self-esteem and self-perception, especially among young audiences. The study therefore recommends that artists and other content creators adopt more deliberate and inclusive lyrical and narrative choices that acknowledge and celebrate diverse skin tones.