Norwegian artist Aurora has voiced profound concern over a modern cultural paradox, observing that society now appears more frightened of activists than of existential threats like global warfare or environmental collapse.
The Complicated Intersection of Music and Activism
In a candid interview, the 29-year-old musician expressed genuine bewilderment at this shift. "People are more scared of activists than they are of the world dying," she stated. "More scared of activists than of war. Isn't that interesting?" For Aurora, whose full name is Aurora Aksnes, music and moral responsibility are inextricably linked, making silence for an artist with a platform unthinkable.
She highlighted the complicating factor of identity in public discourse, pointing to the starkly different receptions received by herself, a preternaturally youthful white woman speaking on Palestine, compared to the backlash faced by the duo Bob Vylan. After their Glastonbury performance where frontman Bobby Vylan chanted "Death to the IDF", the band was dropped by their agent and saw their US tour cancelled following visa revocations.
Social Media's Numbing Effect and a Neurodivergent Perspective
Aurora identified social media as a primary culprit in eroding collective empathy. She described a platform algorithm "designed to make people more stupid, more numb", where harrowing footage of real-time conflict is sandwiched between trivial makeup tutorials and recipe videos. This juxtaposition, she argues, trains the brain to associate human suffering with a state of detachment.
The singer also opened up about her experience as a neurodivergent artist, a topic she has previously only hinted at on stage. She explained the unique challenges and strengths it brings. "With age and with time, I've become a bit better at managing being neurodivergent," she shared, describing the difficulty with executive function for tasks that don't ignite a passionate, hyper-focused state.
While she finds herself easily overstimulated by crowds, her neurodivergence also grants a superpower: a remarkable openness to strangers. However, this ability diminishes with constant overexposure, causing her to miss out on meaningful connections.
A Call to Action: The Union Chapel Charity Show
Aurora is channelling these concerns into direct action. She is promoting an intimate charity show at London's Union Chapel on 10 December to raise crucial funds for War Child. The organisation supports children whose lives have been devastated by war and genocide, a cause she deeply admires.
The concert, split into two acts named "Dusk" and "Dawn", is designed to take the audience on a journey from exploring activism and humanity to emotions of hope and renewal. For Aurora, the physical act of gathering is the antidote to activism fatigue. "When people meet in the same room for a cause, it's so pure," she explained. "You can see the crowd. You can feel the number. You can understand it."
She makes the staggering statistic—that one in five children globally are affected by war or conflict Fans have a unique opportunity to witness this special performance by entering a prize draw to win a pair of VIP tickets. The draw closes at 11.59pm on Sunday 30 November, though the donation page for War Child will remain active thereafter.
