From 2012 to 2020, across 900 top songs, women made up only 21.6% of all artists and 12.6% of all songwriters. Shockingly, but not surprisingly, men have dominated almost all facets of society including the entertainment industry.
The industry has long been rooted in misogyny, with female artists bearing the brunt of hate and marginalization.
The music industry generates and fuels the sexualization of women in society. Women are expected to behave a certain way: how they dress, perform and write song lyrics. The patriarchy silences any form of self-expression by shoving female artists into boxes.
The perpetuation of unattainable, unrealistic standards for a woman to be successful are constraining. Female musicians have to constantly reinvent themselves to stay relevant, often feeling pressured to recreate their brand. Even when they do, they are scrutinized.
Singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha experiences ongoing criticism from people advising her to change her look. In Aug, 2019, a male music executive told a 29-year-old Rexha she was “too old” for her brand. She expressed disgust over the expectations put on her, recounting numerous demoralizing comments made about her body, including the push to lose weight and not to show too much skin.
“I’m tired of women getting labeled as ‘hags’ when they get old and guys get labeled as sexy with age,” Rexha expressed.
These comments towards Rexha are not unfamiliar to female musicians. This bias forces women to constantly alter their appearance in a certain way to satisfy the public. Evolving female musicians are criticized for being too confident, too meek, or too expressive.
Senior Sumika Thapa has noticed this misogynistic attitude. “Women have to cater to their audience whether it be appearance or their albums, but even when they do change there’s a lot of criticism. Men don’t have to do that. When have Luke Combs or Drake ever had to change aesthetics?” she asked.
Male artists almost never have to change their look or be criticized for how they present themselves. When men expose their skin and flaunt their bodies on stage, they are “hot.” When women do it, they are regarded as distasteful.
Musicians like Ross Lynch who capitalize off their bodies are continuously praised and labeled as “charismatic.” Senior Khushi Mehta described his performances as “aggressively sexual and a strip show.” Mehta continued, “I think it perfectly caters to his audience who go to his shows anticipating his sensual actions. The audience is always anticipating this behavior, praising Lynch, but if a woman were to get on stage and do the same things that he does, they would be shamed.”
On the other hand, artists are objectified for breaking fashion norms like Nicki Minaj. She expressed these thoughts in the trailer for her new documentary. “I think we just don’t get the respect that men do.You feel like you’re doing something wrong, and so you just stop doing, period,” Minaj stated.
Society is caught up on appearances, using it as a measure of success or progress. The lengths that women have to go to reach the same level of respect as their male counterparts is unbelievable and impractical.
The purpose of music is to convey emotion and experiences through lyrics while simultaneously expressing oneself. Writing music is supposed to act as an outlet, but female artists can’t seem to do that right either.
When female artists turn to emotional expression through song lyrics, they are classified as “whiny”. A common theme that can be found in songs is the reminiscence of love. When women write songs explicitly about their past relationships and partners, they are written off as the “crazy ex,” obsessive and hysterical.
Female artist Taylor Swift has been a victim of these comments ever since she entered the music industry. Swift is characterized by people as a “serial dater,” ridiculed for the content of her songs. Many often claim “she only writes about breakups and her boyfriends” when vocalizing their dislike for her music. However, these comments aren’t new for female musicians, and especially not for Swift.
Swift summarized the sentiments of her critics in an interview with 2DayFMSydney. “Frankly, I think that’s a very sexist angle to take. No one says that about Ed Sheeran. No one says that about Bruno Mars. They’re all writing songs about their exes, their current girlfriends, their love life, and no one raises a red flag there,” Swift expressed.
Singers write about their own experiences, trying to be authentic, transparent, and passionate in what they create. Writing about heartbreak and love is only natural for many songwriters, so women shouldn’t be criticized for their own emotions.
Ridiculed for creativity and passion in their work, female artists struggle to thrive with all these barriers in the way. Society needs to take a step back to consider their biases when judging artists in all creative spaces. Whether it be appearance or lyrics, there’s no question that women are measured to different standards than their male counterparts.
An institution that perpetuates stereotypical standards is an institution that works against women.
