INFORMATIVE PIECE: WOMEN IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY; A BLESSING OR A CURSE?
INFORMATIVE PIECE: In this series, I will highlight and analyze various aspects of the music industry based on my knowledge along with the knowledge I will have gained through rigorous research.
In the first article of this series, I shed light on some of the issues faced by female musicians. This piece will make you realize that everyone from producers to listeners is capable of sexist behavior whether or not they are conscious of their words and actions.
When your dreams consist of having no room to breathe...
Let me start by article by analyzing just a small but critical part of one of the most successful girl groups of the last decade; Fifth Harmony's career. You may or may not be aware of the fact that Fifth Harmony was formed on the show X-Factor after almost getting eliminated from the competition as solo artists. There are numerous ways of knowing that these young women were anything but free and valued; from their lyrics all the way to their wardrobe. I know what you may be thinking; "One Direction was a boys band and had no creative control whatsoever". That is an extremely valid point. However, Lauren, Camila, Ally, Normani, and Dinah faced problems the boys of 1D most likely never had to deal with. For instance, let's analyze some of the lines Camila was most likely forced or somehow tricked into delivering on Fifth Harmony's smash hit "Worth it"; "Come harder just because I don't like it, like it too soft. I like it a little rough, not too much, but maybe just enough". Without doing any type of research, let's just take a moment to reflect on those godawful lyrics; how did Camila feel singing those words? Did she have the option to turn down the "request" of having to deliver those particular lines? Let's assume for a second that Camila felt like those lyrics were actually a great way for her to own her sexuality and feel empowered; many questions arise from that hypothesis as well. How did other women perceive Camila after hearing her sing those words? Was it slut-shaming hours? Were they aware Camila most likely did not have a say in this? What about Fifth Harmony's young and impressionable fan base? I (and probably a significant amount of Fifth Harmony's fans) know way too well that the experience of being in the group was not all unicorns and rainbows for any of the girls. Take a second to imagine what it must have been like for your dreams to turn into something controlled by older men who in reality strictly want to make lots and lots of money. I am not (explicitly) stating that the girls were abused because we do not have any information regarding that specific issue. However, without having been physically abused, I do not think anyone would be surprised if we ever learned they were emotionally, mentally, verbally abused; manipulated into doing things they were clearly uncomfortable doing. I am well aware of what some of you might think: "Well, they could have said no." Don't you think it sounds remarkably easier said than done. Whether we want to admit it or not, there was an undeniable unbalance in power dynamics. Consequently, we have to realize that many of us would not have had the courage to refuse any demands in similar circumstances. Furthermore, we have to bear in mind that certain aspects of artists' careers are part of contracts that are unfortunately not always fair or advantageous. Again, I am asking you to use your powers of imagination and empathy to reflect on how you would react in a situation where you are barely an adult and have to sign a record deal full of convoluted, deceitful words. Why do old, greedy, selfish men think they know what's best for young female artists? They probably simply do not give an actual fuck. I honestly could write so much more about Fifth Harmony's career; this is only a very few pieces of a complex and tragic-looking puzzle.
This is for context purposes only...
"No Jerry, she is not trying to sneak backstage to sleep with some lead singer. She is a legit musician who plays drums in one of the bands that are on the bill tonight. I know Maeva is a small female who probably does not fit your mental image of what a musician looks like." I truly wish I was making that shit up but I am not. (This paragraph is fictional but this type of issue is as real as it gets) Regarding this next section, I had the amazing opportunity to collaborate with two of my favorite musicians of all time; Courage My Love/Softcult's gifted Canadian twins Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn. Unfortunate yet unsurprising, Mercedes and Phoenix's have shared with me that their legitimacy as musicians has been discredited on more than one occasion. I can recall watching an interview in which the girls retold a time when the security guard at the entrance of the venue would simply not allow them in. However, I could not remember in greater detail this deplorable story. Therefore, as a long-time fan and even friend (they have always treated me like one), I came up with the idea of asking them a little bit about those disheartening situations they found themselves in over the years. Thank you to Mercedes and Phoenix for transforming this article into a more influential piece than it would have been without their valuable insight.
One of my favorite songs from Courage My Love's latest release; "Spectra"
Once more, I am asking you to put yourself in someone else's shoes. Picture the simple action of hanging out backstage at a show as a musician yourself with fellow band members who are also performing that night. Does any part of this sound unethical to you? No, right? We are all on the same page about the fact that every single musician; female, male, trans, non-binary who is part of the lineup is entirely allowed to spend time in the green room (backstage area). “Alright, anyone who’s not in a band has to leave,” so some people that were just friends, etc. left, and then he looks at Cedes and I and says “that includes girlfriends.” Those are words Mercedes and Phoenix were in fact told. You and I know way too damn well that if Phoenix and Mercedes were men, security guards would have not doubted the fact they had every right to be in that room with all of the other musicians. Did they look considerably young back then? Yes, possibly. Do age and gender matter when it is a question of musical talent? Does their gender and age (at the time) mean they were not/are not diligent, talented musicians? I do not fucking think so. As if this small part of Phoenix and Mercedes' story was not discouraging enough, its conclusion is even more eyebrow-raising and baffling. Phoenix declared that: "we had to try and prove to him we were actually in one of the bands playing, and basically the only reason he let us stay was because our bassist vouched for us." Whoever you may be; STOP DISCREDITING WOMEN!!!!
Not only is this latest Softcult single fantastic but immensely relevant
When subtlety rhymes with guilty...
During the process of writing this piece, I have also had the chance to communicate with another musician I admire; Christina Rotondo. As you may have guessed; Christina has experienced her fair share of sexism as well. Just like Mercedes and Phoenix, Christina's validity as a musician has been doubted more than once. Christina has described some of the issues she has faced as "subtle sexism". In other words, men do not necessarily explicitly tell her: "you have no clue what you are doing because you are a woman" but some of the responses she has received sadly hold the same meaning. Christina has explained that she gets a lot of comments on her attitude when in reality she is asserting herself and doing the work to the best of her abilities. The English singer even mentioned how when working with clients the experience can be shifted to a complete 180 when they do not get what they want. "You could be working with the best client in the world and then, suddenly, you say something they don't like and they completely flip. That's wild to me." The undermining of her work has made her feel upset and quite frustrated. Christina had told me that the conversations with clients can even take a scary turn. In other words, Christina simply voices her opinion about what she considers to be the most appropriate for the work but certain people (men) cannot accept that. I mean...why would women know best about anything...right? (meant to be read in a sarcastic tone)
Moreover, as a fairly long-time fan, I have noticed an unsettling number of ridiculously sexist comments on her YouTube videos over the years. For example, I have seen people share their thoughts on Christina's use of makeup; they claim she had too much makeup on...according to who? Why is it even mentioned? Why would anyone take the time to comment such things on a video of a cover of a song, shouldn't listeners constructively, respectfully comment on aspects such as the rearrangement of the song or Christina's vocal delivery?
An amazing original song from her project with musician Ali Marshall
This article could have been unquestionably longer; this only represents a minuscule portion of what is fucked up with the music industry when it comes to how various producers, managers, security guards, and even fans treat and view female artists. Will it be extremely difficult to change all of these people's perspectives? Yes, definitely. It will require endless patience and determination. However, I consider that certain changes can be made now; music fans no matter what gender they identify as must modify how they perceive female singers and musicians. Stop and think before leaving a possibly sexist comment on social media. Stop underestimating non-male identifying artists' talent. If you have made it this far in the article; thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can only wish this piece will make you reflect on the music industry as well as your tendencies as a music consumer. I will most likely produce at least a few more articles regarding this subject as there is so much more to write about. I would love for you to reach out to me to share your opinion, knowledge, and perhaps your own stories.
Thank you to Phoenix, Mercedes, and Christina for their time and kindness. They genuinely deserve all of the love and support in the world. Please take a little bit of your time to give their work a real chance. Also, shoutout to a person whom I consider to be one of my best friends; Isabelle. Thank you for thinking I was talented and interesting enough to start my own music blog.
Your former emo kid/current emo adult/music lover forever/feminist forever
Ariane
To reach out to me
on Instagramarianemusicfan95@gmail.com
I hate to say this but even as a woman I am also guilty of this... and I am ashamed. Seeing a group of women hopping on a stage looking really badass and thinking "who do they think they are". I think the best thing to do is to learn from this and we start appreciate what really matters: MUSIC :)
ReplyDeleteI agree!!!!!!! 🥺🖤
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