The music industry is an open space for all creatives to try and work to build their careers but it can be such a misogynistic arena of vultures, leeches, and disrespectful men who have attained influence, resources, and power, but instead of using them to help everyone, they abuse their power and take advantage of people, especially women, at the least opportunity. The industry in general is advancing in ways and measures to ensure there is a general playing field. One where people are respected for their art and given the needed space to exploit their art without any ulterior motive, the reality on the ground proves otherwise.
Whenever you hear women in the music industry speak about their fears, scarring moments among other things, it becomes clear just how scary the industry is. It is troubling to see how backward we are for a generation with so much advancement. There seem to be fewer and fewer measures being put in place to ensure women are protected and respected for their art and not just conquests to be had.
In a recent interview, Tems opened up about how when she was starting, she had to wear baggy clothes to cover her body to avoid being sexualised and people just hitting on her instead of focusing on the music. Like Tems, there have been several women who have opened up about the continuous sexualization of them as against support for their music, lack of proper support, spaces that embody women, and creating opportunities that amplify their art and career.
To throw more light on this issue and highlight ways in which we can solve this, I speak to some women in the music industry.
While there’s been progress, a significant disparity exists in the representation and recognition of women within the music industry. While there have been more independent artists coming up the ranks, there’s still a lack of representation at the higher levels, resulting in fewer opportunities for representation compared to our male counterparts. Industry conversations and award nominations often feature a low number of female artists. Emerging female artists are making strides in self-promotion and actively seeking opportunities, however, the pervasive narrative that pits women against each other continues to be a significant obstacle, especially in the mainstream space. There’s an inherent tendency to compare female artists, fostering a false scarcity mindset that suggests there isn’t room for multiple women to succeed, particularly within the same genre. This creates an uneven playing field, as male artists are generally allowed to rise concurrently without facing the same level of scrutiny or manufactured competition.
Unfortunately, the reality is that women often face a disproportionate burden in the music industry. Beyond the fundamental requirements of music-making and building a strong brand, women face the added pressures of gender-based stereotypes, potential exploitation, and misogynistic perceptions. Our image and personal lives are often subjected to public scrutiny, creating heightened pressure to maintain a flawless image and proactively counter false narratives. This constant need to think ahead to defend against potential misrepresentation adds another layer of complexity and effort that male artists typically don’t encounter. Empowerment stems from being taken seriously and being valued for our work, independent of aspects related to our gender. Equal consideration of opportunities, recognition of our artistic merit, and dismantling gender-based biases are crucial steps. Highlighting and supporting established female artists is essential, as it serves as inspiration and validation for aspiring musicians who may be hesitant to enter the industry. Increased representation normalizes the presence of women and their unique perspectives, fostering a more equitable and inclusive environment. Moreover, amplifying discussions about the challenges women face and advocating for systemic change are vital in creating a more supportive and empowering ecosystem.
Women have to worry about a lot more things when putting themselves out there. My assessment of the music industry is that it is a jungle. Everyone is trying to make a name and a path for themselves. The industry isn’t a place to navigate alone and having strong connections and financial support is essential to survive. I would like to solve the challenge of inclusivity. From experience, women in the music industry aren’t taken as seriously. And therefore aren’t always included in important conversations about talent, brains, and impact. Rather conversation revolves around comparisons to other female acts, body/weights, and styling. We can empower women by first and foremost treating women with the same respect as men. Showing us that you value us by appreciating our art and our talent, not just our looks. And by giving us equal opportunities not just creating a segment for women to shine on women’s day.
Women need to work twice as hard from making music to content creation down to promotion but their works are not given enough recognition due to the fact that the industry is male-dominated. If they are given equal opportunity and recognition, their workload will be reduced and they will thrive effectively. The industry is male-dominated and is not structured in a way that would encourage a lot of women to do music. The ecosystem is also not structured in a way that will enable a lot of female artists to succeed.
This has led to only a few women attaining success in the music industry. The situation has discouraged collaboration among female artists and creators and left a lot of hardworking female artists unrecognized. Technically, I would like to invest in their overall knowledge of the music business and everything they need to know in music production so that we can have more women taking up the roles of A&R, music production, PR, marketing & distribution, video directing, and all.
Female artists get a lot of attention but it isn’t always for their music.The Ghanaian media would rather focus on their personal stuff like relationships, social media banter, unhealthy competition, lifestyle, etc. than boost the Talent and her work. The intense scrutiny can be very frustrating esp. when these same promotional channels blindside the achievements.
How hard do the girls need to work before Players in the Industry take them seriously? Applaud their efforts at the very least, you know…? A challenge I would like to solve for women is representation. It’s very necessary for us women to see ourselves take up diverse roles within the industry, from Music Executives to Producers to Songwriters, Instrumentalists, etc. The male-dominated space can be a bit much for any woman in the industry. Unfortunately, that’s the situation we’re in but I’d say it gives us an extra kick. If you are determined and have the capacity/support to break the bias then why not?
It’s nice to hear comments like “She’s in the major league with the big cats now”. It’s rare around here but I’m very hopeful things will align. We should try to foster more inclusivity, promote female talents, and ensure women have a voice and presence in decision-making processes to create a more supportive environment for women in the music industry. I wish we could sanitize the space first and then activate everyone and encourage other women so it’s easier to settle in. It takes a tough spirit but I learned from tough spirits. Women led me into the Industry and I’ve been just fine.
I honestly believe women have to do twice as much for half the recognition. In cases where we don’t, we’re often selling ourselves short in one way or another. It’s hard to be seen as more than a token. Great for features and vocals, but difficult to be taken as seriously as our male counterparts. Those that are talented and deserving are often pitted against each other so it creates room for rivalry and competition. I think we can all be a bit more cautious when it comes to the dynamics in the industry. There are so many diverse and talented women that we don’t give opportunity or recognition to. Many focus their efforts on a select few leaving the raw, undiscovered talents discouraged. In music conversations, a lot of our discourse surrounds male acts and if a woman is mentioned it’s an afterthought. Empowering us would begin by recognizing us.
To create a thriving environment for women in our space, we need all hands on deck. Most especially men, because we have for a long time been a major reason why women do not get the needed support they get.
Written by Nana Kojo Mula.
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