Female Underrepresentation in the Music Industry
Music has been a form of expression for as long as it has existed. It gives its musicians an outlet for their thoughts, and it gives consumers something to relate to. However, the harsh reality is that the expression seems to be restricted from demographic minorities. Sadly, in a world where everybody is prioritizing inclusion and diversity, music seems to be left behind. Before we examine the lack of female representation in this article, let us first acknowledge the significance of representation. Role models are crucial because they allow underrepresented communities to feel visible in modern media and society, and therefore pursue their passions. To put it simply: once they see someone walk, they know one day they can run. People have the right to a role model–a right that the current state of the music industry inhibits.
In the popular music industry, there is a substantial lack of female representation. A study performed by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at USC exposed this lack of representation across musicians. Specifically, the study examines female representation across artists, producers, and songwriters in the industry. Across 900 popular songs from 2012 to 2020, women made an average of just 21.6% of all artists. The issue worsens when considering producers, where across 600 popular songs, there was a ratio of 38 male producers to 1 female producer. That means that women made up just 2.6% of all producers. Even further the proportion of songs written by only women was less than 1% (Smith et al 1, 4). This shows women are brushed to the side far too often as professionals in the music industry, as they are dramatically underrepresented.
These extensive gaps of representation have existed in fields separate from music as well–perhaps athletics. A well-fitting example of this concept is the narrative of Serena Williams. Serena William’s outstanding success in tennis as a minority and as a female makes her a demographic representation idol. Her status as an idol and role model allows her to motivate change not just in discussions, but also in her industry (Rankine 12). The music industry has a painful lack of people like Serena Williams that act as role models and create a cycle that inspires youth to genuinely pursue their passion.
The implications of the issue span beyond diversity statistics. In my eyes, the most critical effect of this lack of diversity is that it prohibits many from having role models. People deserve the right to an idol they can relate to, but that is simply impossible given the current state of the music industry. The industry needs more people like producers Wondagurl and Cydney Christine to break the gender barrier within music. The lack of role models has a meaning that surpasses that of a pie chart. The current state of the music industry withholds representation, which unjustly discourages many from pursuing their passion.
