Exposing the Divide: How to Make It as a Female Artist in the Music Industry
When looking at the forefront of music, you may see the successful career of female artists such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Lady Gaga. However, what you do not see from these women are the moments when the camera is not rolling and the stage lights have not turned on. They have worked countless hours to achieve the status that they hold in the industry today, and have faced thousands of rejections from business executives and label managers that act as the gatekeepers to success.
Entertainment and arts industries are known to be very cutthroat because success is based on whether your brand and your content is marketable to a specific audience. While it can be intimidating, those in the music industry are so passionate about their craft that the risk is worth the reward. Many producers, artists, and business experts work very hard to achieve success in music. However, the music industry has a reputation of being a typically “male-dominated industry,” meaning most of the people that receive recognition for their success are men. Meanwhile, women in the music industry have to go the extra mile just to be seen as equal to their male counterparts in terms of their professionality and their capabilities. Women often struggle with being respected and taken seriously, and even face the doubts of critics who cannot believe a woman can reach success on her own without the help of a man. However, women offer many things to the music industry, and can use their skills to their advantage in order to rise to success. Women are empathetic and driven individuals, while also maintaining humility as they recognize the diligence that is needed to make it as a creative artist.
As a woman that has experience in the creative side of the music industry, I can relate to the challenges that female creatives face, and I have sought out advice from others who have been in my position to see how they have risen over patriarchal oppression. With this article, EAR hopes to reach out to female creatives and advise them on how to make it in the music industry. Not necessarily in regards to selling records, but how to maintain a headstrong attitude to achieve your career goals.
Do Women Have Less Creative Capability?
According to a study conducted by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, only 22.4% of the 1,239 performing artists from Billboard’s Top 100 Songs of the Year between 2012 and 2017, were women. That statistic is even smaller when you examine the genders of the songwriters for these Top 600 songs. Women only composed 12% of the creatives behind the decade’s best-selling music. Is it possible that men are simply more capable than women of creating chart topping music? Of course, not! In fact, according to a study performed by music researchers that examined thousands of songs between 1995 and 2000, there was no significant difference between the quality of creative work put out by either gender. However, when gender was taken into account in the study, scholars found that women created more unique and unusual compositions regarding both the technical aspects of music (i.e. tempo, rhythm, key,) and in emotive aspects (i.e “catchiness”, “danceability”, “energy”). Therefore, there is no direct evidence that shows a lower quality of creative output in relation to female creators.
In fact, this same research inferred that women’s ability to create more “novel works” is due to the need to outperform their male counterparts in order to receive the same success and recognition. According to Rolling Stone, that referenced the aforementioned research, “women are less likely to reach the top of their profession, are paid less, win fewer awards, and generally enjoy subdued recognition from the music industry compared to male counterparts.” For female artists, this information can provide the peace of mind that it is not a matter of ability or lack thereof, but rather, it is the fact that women are put at a disadvantage due to patriarchal oppression and double standards.
Sexism and Double Standards Against Female Artists
On December 12th, 2019, Taylor Swift took the stage at Billboard’s Women in Music event to accept her Woman of the Decade Award. In her speech, she exposed the hardships she faced as a woman in a creative industry, and explained how she grew to become one of the industry’s top popular artists. Swift stated, “I saw that as a female in this industry, some people will always have slight reservations about you. Whether you deserve to be there, whether your male producer or co-writer is the reason for your success, or whether it was a savvy record label. It wasn't.”
With eight successful studio albums under her belt, Swift’s capabilities as a pop artist should go unquestioned. However, she was still often faced by people that doubted her abilities simply because she was a woman. She revealed, “I became a mirror for my detractors. Whatever they decided I couldn't do is exactly what I did….Whatever they criticized about me became material for musical satires or inspirational anthems ....Basically if people had something to say about me, I usually said something back in my own way.” Swift overcame patriarchal oppression by consistently striving for her goals. However, achieving success is never enough as a woman in the industry, as she was suddenly met with more doubts and backlash even after accomplishing such large milestones. As female artists, many come to realize that there is no escape from the criticism whether it be about their content or about their personal lives.
So how does one persevere and remain diligent under the constant scrutiny and judgement? The difference between women that can continue to create in such a hostile climate, and those that cannot boils down to this question: will you let it break you? As women in the music industry, criticism is to be expected, however it cannot slow down the creative drive within us. Successful female artists possess such a strong passion for music that they continue to create and improve on their craft despite the critics. Therefore, the best way to persevere and rise to the ranks of Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Lana Del Rey, is simply to keep going.
A Female Artist’s Public Image and How it Is Scrutinized
The concept of “sex sells” is very prominent within the music industry, and the looks of an artist definitely plays a large role in their marketability to their audience. Both men and women experience this as musicians -after all, boy bands such as One Direction and The Jonas Brothers were often viewed as the “heartthrobs” in music. However, women in the music industry are put under constant scrutiny for their bodies, whether they are showing off “too much” or “too little”, or whether they fit society’s beauty standards or go against the grain. It is almost as if women lose either way, and their talents and personality are irrelevant if they cannot sell with their image first.
Let us examine two female artists at totally opposite sides of the spectrum: Madonna and Billie Eilish. Madonna is a music industry veteran, being active since the 80’s and has multiple awards and chart topping tracks under her belt. She is very experienced with the dynamics of the business being immersed in it for over twenty years. Additionally, she was also viewed as a “sex icon” and confidentally shows off her body in different costumes as part of her brand as an artist. On the other hand, Billie Eilish is a young female artist with only about five years of major activity, however she is hardly a novice at creating best selling albums. She even made history at the 2020 Grammy Awards by being the youngest artist to sweep all four of the major categories. However, unlike Madonna, she covers her body in baggy sweatshirts and jeans. While neither of these women’s accomplishments form a direct correlation to the clothing they choose to wear in public, both have faced public criticism over how they choose to show their body.
As Madonna revealed in her acceptance speech for the Woman of the Year award at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, “I remember wishing I had a female peer I could look to for support. Camille Paglia, the famous feminist writer, said I set women back by objectifying myself sexually.” She talked about her experience being viewed as a threat to other women, as an object of desire to men, but rarely as a human being with immense talent. Many people looked down on her for showing her body and slut-shamed her for the same things flamboyant male artists would do. She stated, “I was called a whore and a witch. One headline compared me to Satan. I said, ‘Wait a minute, isn’t Prince running around with fishnets and high heels and lipstick with his butt hanging out?’ Yes, he was. But he was a man.This was the first time I truly understood women do not have the same freedom as men.” Society has become very critical of the way women develop their public image, and criticize those that show more than what they prefer to see.
However, on the other hand women cannot simply cover themselves up completely, otherwise they will get a whole new breed of backlash. Billie Eilish often chooses to style herself in baggy clothing that hides her body figure when she presents herself in public. However, whenever she is seen in something more revealing (such as a bathing suit or a tight fit tank top) she receives backlash from body-shaming “internet trolls”. Eilish spoke out against the scrutiny saying, “There were comments like, ‘I don’t like her anymore because as soon as she turns 18 she’s a whore.’ Like, dude. I can’t win. I cannot win.” The 18 year old singer revealed that she actually chooses her style purposefully to hide her body, and therefore, avoid others opinions on it. She claims that if people do not know what her figure looks like, then they are unable to make comments on it.
Billie has since reclaimed control over her body image and decided not to listen to what others would have to say about her looks. She released an empowering short film titled Not My Responsibility which shows her shedding layers of clothing as she descends into dark liquid. The message of the film was to show her thought process; questioning her worth and value in the eyes of others, and what others may perceive of her if she were to wear more or less. Eilish eventually concludes that others’ opinion of her is “not my responsibility”, thus showing her reclaiming her confidence in her figure.
Luckily, many female artists nowadays -like Billie Eilish- are using their platform to normalize body acceptance amongst all performers in the music industry. Lizzo, for example, serves as an icon not only for black female empowerment, but also for body positivity and self confidence. As a plus-sized woman, she has gone against the grain by graciously wearing what she chooses, and ignoring those that make comments on her size. The best way women can counteract the negativity and scrutiny they face regarding their body is to simply continue following their own style. It is still very possible to sell records if you do not fit society’s impossible standards for beauty, nor do you have to adhere to everyone’s comfort level of the human body. Regardless of how you choose to show yourself to the public as an artist, the music industry will relentlessly criticize women for their choices. Therefore, it is easier to simply block out the negativity.
What Can Women in the Music Industry Provide For Each Other?
Due to the lack of representation and institutional sexism, women in the music industry have found each other and formed support groups and communities that encourage each other’s successes. Finding one of these communities is very helpful especially given the competitive nature of the music industry, and even more so as a woman. They provide networks for those looking to connect with others who can assist in taking the next steps for their career, and open up a variety of opportunities for progress and collaboration. Women also offer great emotional resources to each other as many can understand the struggles that come with success in entertainment and performing arts. Another important fact to recognize is that everyone in the industry has a platform to share their content. Whether you are a novice in the industry or a professional CEO, it is important that as female artists, our platforms are used to lift others up and encourage equal representation in the music industry. Therefore, if you have access to resources that another artist may need, it is beneficial to share them with each other in an effort to support other women in their projects and endeavors.
Lastly, the most important thing a woman can do to “make it” in the music industry is stand their ground and stay true to their character. Any artist in the industry must face their critics and doubters, but the most successful are those that overcome what is assumed of them and surpass any expectations. For female artists, perseverance is essential against the struggles presented by not only the competitive nature of the music industry, but also the gender bias within society. These obstacles that come with rising to the top can be overcome through diligence and believing in oneself. It is also important to note that success should not affect your personal character and how you present yourself to others. Authenticity is the most valuable trait to possess as an artist and is essential to building one’s image as a performer. The ability to relate and develop an emotional connection to the audience is key to selling records, and can only be accomplished by sticking with what makes you feel comfortable and confident. Therefore, it is important to stand against the pressure of the music industry to conform to a specific type of artist, and to stay true to your creative persona.
Overall, the music industry has a long way to go in terms of providing equal representation amongst creators and changing their view of women’s creative roles or capabilities. While women may need to put in extra work to achieve the same results, these setbacks strengthen our character and motivate us to create music that we are proud of. We hope to continue providing women with the resources and advice needed to help earn their success in the music industry while we work as a society to level the playing field for all musical artists.
