by Mason Rosse
Contrary to what it seems like, women are actually largely unrepresented in the Music Industry, and for the women that have fought so hard to become represented, they are often limited to certain job lanes due to industry-wide sexualization and sexism. To progress as a Music Industry and as a society female representation is essential.
Women have a very tough time becoming successful and respected in the Music Industry, and even once they break the boundaries, they are boxed into certain roles and styles. According to Forbes, women actually only make up “21.7 percent of artists, 12.3 percent of songwriters and 2.1 percent of producers”.
The biggest group being performers speaks to the sexualization and objectification that is rampant throughout the Music Industry. Multi-Grammy winner Lady Gaga explained that “I tried for so long, I just really wanted to be taken seriously as a musician for my intelligence more than my body ever in this business.”
This holds true for the smallest group being producers as well. Being an entirely skill and intelligence-based job, women are often not taken seriously and pushed away from it. According to a study done by USC, “only 5% of the songs in our sample spanning nine years of popular music had a woman producer.” In order to grow as a Music Industry and gain a more diverse set of creative skills and ideas, this sexism and sexualization needs to change.
Some people might argue that, in an industry where skill is based on subjectivity, female underrepresentation is due to men’s music being better on average. However, the issue is not rooted in skill, but is closely related to societal stigma and streaming algorithms. Although there is stigma throughout the industry, it is most explicitly seen within the rap genre. Multi-Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion describes that “In every industry, women are pitted against one another, but especially in hip-hop, where it seems as if the male-dominated ecosystem can handle only one female rapper at a time.” Down all the way to the wording used, the male dominated rap genre often classifies women as separate, with many people making sure to highlight that artists are a “female rapper” instead of just saying that they are a “rapper.” This distinction puts women artists in another category, making it easy for the general public to group female artists together and discount them as a whole. This is an issue specific to men as well, “according to data from Spotify, based on a sample of five million subscribers, male users listened to 94.2 percent male artists, 3.3 percent–female artists, and 2.5 percent–mixed groups. Female–listener habits were more–diverse, as they listened to 55 percent male artists, 30.8–percent female artists, and 14.2–percent–mixed–groups.” To fix an issue of this caliber, it would require a huge shift in the way female artists are viewed and listened to. They can no longer be classified as “female–rappers” but should be looked at and talked about the same way as male rappers are. Not only does this need to happen but it needs to happen now. The less female artists being listened to, the less streaming algorithms will push and promote female music, pushing us further away from equality (which has already started).
In the world of white male-dominated media, female representation is essential to create role models for young girls. A study done by Women’s Media Center found that “63 percent of girls aged between 10 and 19 believe there aren’t enough role models of their gender.” Giving a space for female artists shows young girls that there is room for them in the Music Industry too. Providing a space for female representation in the Music Industry simultaneously brings racial representation as well. According to Forbes “Male–performers were 52 percent non-white, while 73 percent of female performers were women–of–color.” A rise in female representation will start a gradual shift into a non-white dominated Music Industry, which is rare among a sea of white male dominated creative industries. Making a more equal Music Industry will impact kids all over the world, and will provide a space for a whole new generation of creative ideas and breakthroughs.
Although addressing the underrepresentation of women in the Music Industry will be a difficult and long process, it is both essential to the industry and to the world. Once the barriers are broken down an influx of new creativity and bright ideas will start to flow that will change the Music Industry forever. This shift away from the misrepresentation and objectification of female artists will provide essential role models to young girls. A positive change in such a public industry will have a ripple effect that has the possibility to significantly impact women everywhere, and that change needs to happen now.