Boom Period for Female Artists in Popular Music - Coursework Example

We are currently experiencing what is considered to be a boom period for female artists in popular music. What are the reasons for the present success of female artists and what gender issues are being raised in their music and in their performances? The music industry has been associated with male dominance for a long time. According to Leonard, the music business is run by men, which is evident in the larger number of male song writers, creators, musicians, technicians, producers, and engineers compared to females.1 This observation covers the entire history of the music industry to date. The male dominance is so evident in that one can argue that fewer women are represented in the music business than men. Additionally, even the few females that participated in the music business took less dominant roles. In most cases, the female roles in the music business were based on the male conceptions of the ability of the women. Although more males than females are involved in music, the gender dynamics are shifting. Today, there is an increasing number of female artists in popular music. Today, people can identify with big female artists such as Beyoncé, Shakira, and Witney Houston among many others. The original male dominance of the music industry is now becoming a thing of the past as more women are emerging in popular music in all genres. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the underlying reasons for the present success of female artists and the specific gender issues that are emerging from female music and performances. The paper is organized into different sections. From this introduction section, the next section is the main body, which is divided into several subsections. Each subsection will discuss a specific area of the topic based on the emerging themes. The final section, the conclusion, provides an overall summary of the discussion and identifies the main points from the paper. It also provides potential implications from the discussions. Boom of Female Artists in Popular Music The music industry currently is comprised of many top female artists such as Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, and Miley Cyrus among others. This new boom challenges the traditional male dominance of the music industry. The increasing number of female artists in popular music has revolutionized the music industry. Today, the female gender plays a major role in music. Whether a leading or auxiliary role, women are featured in most popular music. In a 2014 list of most popular music, YouTube featured eight videos that were creations of female artists such as Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda”, Shakira’s “La La La” and Katy Perry featuring Juicy J’s “Dark Horse”.2 The female artists dominated the top music videos on YouTube. This findings support the argument that there is a gender revolution in the music industry where the male dominance is giving way to female dominance. This gender revolution and boom of female artists is driven by various factor as discussed below. Women’s Rights and Gender Equality There has been a growing realization of women’s rights and equality with men. The gender equality debate began in the mid 20th century. The United Nations Decade for Women, which expired in 1985, was meant to highlight the gender inequalities affecting women in general. The Decade for Women started the process of integrating women into the forefront in various aspects including development in education and involvement in business. This triggered the formation of many organizations that focused on empowering women and ensuring that hitherto gender restrictions and discrimination against women were abolished. Since then, there has been an increase in the efforts and discourses to ensuring gender equality.3 With the growing gender equality in the society, women are now able to take up roles that were traditionally reserved for men. With regard to the music industry, women are now taking up more roles in creating, producing, and performing music.4 The veil of male dominance that prevented women from becoming artists is now broken allowing more women to become music artists just like their male colleagues. There are more opportunities for women in the music industry today including artists, producers, and music directors among others. The fact that female artists are now competing with male artists in popular music shows the effects of the growing gender equality around the world. The fact that female music can out-perform male music, as is the case with women such as Shakira and Nicki Minaj dominating YouTube most popular music videos, depicts this reality. To have a better understanding of how growing gender equality is driving more female artists into popular music, it is important to first understand the relationship between music, culture, and gender. Music forms a tool for cultural expression. According to some scholars, the gender element in music is often depicted overtly or covertly.5 For example, Rock music has been viewed as a male music genre for a long time.6 The rock artists and lovers were mainly male. Apart from such overt depiction of gender issues, some gender issues can also be covertly depicted in music. A good example is the influence of cultural attitudes regarding gender on the person performing or doing the music. In some cultures, women are not expected to perform music. For example, women are restricted from performing music in public in Iran.7 This restriction on women performing music in public is rooted in the culture of the Iranian society. Specifically, women are seen as potential distractors to men because of their sexual nature. Therefore, when performing music, the idea that women artists will use their bodies and voice to sexually appeal to men causes the society to prohibit women from performing music publicly. Music and Sexism Apart from the increased gender equality, the boom of female artists in popular music can also be related to the sexism issue. Compared to men, women are viewed more as sexual objects especially when they are involved in music. Women in music are treated differently because of their physical attractiveness, which has been depicted through sexualisation. This sexualisation of female artists in music has driven many women into popular music because their male employers have realized that women artists can sell more music because of their sexual appeal. Therefore, quite a number of female artists have emerged by using their sexual appeal. It is common to see music videos or performances by female artists who are dressed in ways that could be considered as sexually appealing such as erotic dancing, mode of dressing, and gestures.8 A look at the female dominated top 10 videos on YouTube would provide enough evidence for this. According to Bowers, female artists are deriving their sexual power and social authority from occupying male social positions and roles, which creates gender ambiguity.9 Since women cannot naturally take up the male roles and positions, female artists are using their physical attractiveness as a steppingstone to stardom since men cannot compete with women on sexual appeal. Sexualisation of music by female artists has proven to be a successful strategy. Female artists who make use of their physical attractiveness in their music are likely to attract many people and create large fan bases. However, it is worth noting that this is not universally true. In fact, there are many female artists who have been successful without taking the sexual appeal route. Education and Empowerment of Women The education of women has also contributed to the boom of female artists in popular music, one can argue. Education provides empowerment to women such that they are able to overcome the social constructs and restrictions imposed on the as a result of their gender. In traditional societies where the males dominated, the education of the girls was not taken very seriously. In fact, even in some societies today, the education of girls is still overlooked or prohibited. A good example is in Pakistan where there is significant gender disparity in education. The education of the girl child is not emphasized because of deep sociocultural issues where girls are considered to responsible for domestic issues. Therefore, taking girls to school is not a priority in many areas in Pakistan. Of course the outcome of this has been a higher number of illiterate women who depend on men for almost everything. While the use of Pakistani female artists is not meant to shift focus from the western female artists, it provides an important insight into element of education and how it may have played a major role in increasing the participation of women in music. However, the education of the girl child has continued to receive considerable attention and support. This has resulted in the education of many girls even in societies where educating girls was considered unnecessary. With the education of more girls, women have been empowered to be independent. Literate women are empowered in the sense that they are able to see beyond their local cultures and restrictions that prevents them from making independent and informed decisions. Additionally, women that are educated to higher levels are likely to experience the world from different perspectives beyond their cultural perspectives. For instance, girls from Pakistan and other cultures that do not prioritize the education of the girl child may join universities or colleges in European countries or American where they will experience a blend of cultures. This experience has a profound impact on their thinking. According to MacKay, music teachers often play a major role in combating gender and culture-based inequity that often bars women from becoming actively involved in music.10 This is just an illustration of how education and literacy among women could have contributed to their roles as music artists in popular music. Emergence of Girl Bands The emergence of all-girl bands also had a major influence in the growing number of female artists joining popular music. These female-led music movements initially operated in the underground because of the male dominance in the music industry. However, they later emerged to empower the female musicians to compete against male artists. By doing so, they created movements that encouraged more women to join the popular music industry. A good example of such girl bands is the riot grrrl, which emerged in the early 1990s. This was a female musical movement that came out of the background into the forefront in the rock music industry. The Riot girl movement used the media to reach out to many girls and women in Britain and the US. This created a major network of women. The movement attracted a large following of women. According to Leonard, the movement “offered a vehicle for empowerment for many of those involved.”11 This empowerment was manifested across Britain and the US with many female bands emerging and associating themselves with riot grrrl. The above example provides insight into how female artists were able to break through the glass ceiling that prevented them from performing popular music in some parts of the world. Such women needed empowerment from within that would prove to them that music was not a male industry. By seeing the performance of riot girl, many female artists could associate with the movement. This provided the motivation and courage to come out in the open and participate in the music industry actively. Overall, the boom of female artists cannot be attributed to one single factor. Instead, multiple factors such as the realization by men that women could attract more crowds and the self-determination of some female artists, have broken down the cultural and gender restrictions that prevented women from active involvement in the music business. With these restrictions gone, more women are now able to become artists alongside male artists in popular music. The society has also accepted that women can also be good artists and performers. This is evident in the popularity of female artists and music. However, the subject of gender cannot be separated completely from music. Although the dynamics have changed, gender is still a major element in music. In this regard, it is important to go deeper into the emergence of female artists in popular music and what gender issues are brought out in female music and performances. Gender Issues in Music and Performance by Female Artists It is worth noting music has a deeper or inner influence on the society. In fact, pop music uses the sensuous approach to attract viewers by luring them into positions of unfulfilled expectations.12 This idea explains the use of sexism in music that is performed by female artists. Several issues emerge in music and performances by female artists. Sexism One of the main issues emerging in music and performances by female artists is sexism. Sexism is the unfair or prejudiced treatment of people based on their sex. Women are often exposed to sexism in the music industry. This happens either directly or indirectly. According to Björk, a female musician from Iceland, female musicians hardly get the same appreciation and treatment as their male counterparts such that a female artist has to work harder than male artists to be recognized or heard.13 The fact that female artists have to put in more effort than their male counterparts to be recognized is still a major challenge for female artists. This emanates from the traditional male dominance in the music industry. Although female artists are now becoming more recognized for their music and performances, they often have to deal with the pressure from the society that forces them to work extra hard. The idea of sexism in music and performances by female artists is also brought out in the manner in which the female artists are treated by the society. Music videos and performances by popular female artists such as Beyoncé and Nicky Minaj often depict them wearing or exposing their sexuality as a way of attracting male attention. It is a case where female artists are commoditized. For example, in Beyoncé’sSingle Ladies, she and two other females are seen performing dances that bring out their sexual appeal. This begs the question whether the achievements of female artists have been fully appreciated or realized by the female artists. It appears that female artists have internalized and accepted their society’s perception of women as sexual objects. This could be the main reason why most female artists in popular music tend to use their sexual appeals as a strategy for attracting male fans. But this seems to go contrary to the feminism ideology that has propelled female artists into popular music and performance. One wonders whether female artists have to use their sexual appeal to be successful. Perhaps it has something to do with the extra effort that female artists have to put in, compared to their male counterparts. Bindas captures these sentiments clearly when he notes that mainstream swing bands prioritized women’s sexuality over their musical ability.14 Music and Feminism Pop music by female artists has elements of feminism. However, the feminism side may not be so evident especially because of the fact that some female artists, as already discussed, are accepting the fact that men value their music partly because of their sexuality. Many big female artists in popular music are feminists and are using their music and performances to support the feminist ideology. Some of the top female artists that have admitted publicly about being feminists include Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, although some would question their notion of feminism. According to Lady Gaga, her idea of being a feminist is about protecting the integrity of women and showing that women can also be like men or even better.15 After being in the music industry for many years, Gaga has experienced the treatment of female artists as sexual objects, which has inspired her to adopt the feminist approach to fight for other female artists especially those that are joining the mainstream music industry as performers or artists by speaking out about the issues that female artists experience and using her story as an example that other female artists too can be held with integrity and respected for what they do.16 Apart from the direct feminist ideology depicted by female artists through their music and performances, feminism also emerges indirectly. Successful female musicians and performers such as Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé epitomize the notion that female artists can also be successful, perhaps even more successful than male artists. These female artists have carved a niche for themselves in the popular music industry that defies the traditional auxiliary role of female artists. By showing the world that they have successfully developed their names as music performers and artists, these female artists are proving to the world that women are capable of achieving more. Many women look up to these top female artists as role models in their endeavours to overcome the traditional gender discrimination and biases against women. Conclusion Women have come a long way in the music business. We are seeing a boom of female artists in popular music, which is a shift from the traditional male dominated music business. We are living in an era where the music industry is experiencing a revolution that is destroying the male dominance. Women artists are proving that they too can be great musicians and performers. Several issues have led to this. The ultimate impact of these issues has been the elimination of the gender-based restrictions that prevented women from coming to the forefront in the music industry. However, this does not mean that all restrictions have been eliminated so far. The music and performance of the female artists contains fundamental themes and issues such as sexism and feminism. These issues are based on past experiences of women in the male dominated music business. Works Cited Bindas, Kenneth J. Swing, That Modern Sound. USA: Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2011. Web. 25 March 2015. Bowers, Jane. “Writing the Biography of a Black Woman Blues Singer.” Music and Gender. Eds. Pirkko Moisala and Beverly Diamond. University of Illinois Press, 2000. 140-165. Web. 24 March 2015. Moisala, Pirkko and Beverly Diamond. Music and Gender. University of Illinois Press, 2000. Web. 25 March 2015. Inglehart, Ronald and Pippa Norris. Rising Tide: Gender Equality and Cultural Change Around the World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Web. 24 March 2015. Jacobs, Matthew. “Women Dominate YouTube’s List of Most Popular Music Videos From 2014.” Huffington Post, 12 Oct. 2014. Web. 24 March 2015. Koskoff, Ellen. Ed. Women and Music in Cross-Cultural Perspective. 1987. Web. 24 March 2015. Leonard, Marion. Gender in the music industry: Rock, Discourse and Girl Power. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2007. Web. 24 March 2015. MacKay, Robbie J. “Teacher, Teacher, Can You Reach Me? What We Can Learn about Teaching Music from Canadian Female Pop Musicians.” Exploring Social Justice: How Music Education Might Matter. Elizabeth Goud et al. Eds. Canadian Music Educators’ Association, 2009.184-239. Web. 24 March 2015. Nooshin, Laudan. “Iran: The Art of Ornament.” World Music: Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Eds. Simon Broughton, Mark Cillingham and Ricjard Trillo, London: Rough Guides, 1999. 355-362. Web. 24 March 2015. Russonielo, Matt. “Lady Gaga on Other Female Pop Stars, Feminism, Abuse in the Music Industry, and That Dancing Diva Kid.” 2014. Web. 25 March 2015. Vagianos, Alanna. “Björk On Sexism In The Music Industry: ‘Everything That A Guy Says Once, You Have To Say 5 Times.” Huffington Post, 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 25 March 2015. Whiteley, Sheila. Ed. Sexing the Groove: Popular Music and Gender. Madison Avenue, New York: Routledge, 2013. Web. 24 March 2015. Read More