Photograph by: Lamprinh
So we are now well into 2017. With women’s values being questioned and governed, it’s hard to say what the future of our rights will be. As a lady pursuing a career in the music industry it is now the time to stand back and let artists make their voices heard – particularly lady artists. It’s time to listen to what women have to say about being women in the music.
As a woman in music myself, I have observed a few key stances on what it means to be a woman involved in the music industry. There are people that are strongly offended by the hypersexuality of women in things like music videos, and there are others that embrace the sexualization of women in music.
On one hand, it’s argued that portraying women the way they are in music is degrading. They’re not wrong, but this is highly subjective, because a lot of women can find this very empowering.
For example, Chelsea Fagan wrote an article about the controversial Blurred Lines song and how even though the lyrics are objectifying women (some would even say promoting rape culture) she feels empowered by them.
She said: "These songs, the ones we grow up dancing to, whose vulgar lyrics we barely even pay attention to, are an almost circus-like celebration of the hypnotic beauty of the female form.” This is now the norm for most Pop and Top 40 songs.
Just as things like clothing have progressed and changed (essentially becoming more casual and exposing) so has music content. “Every generation goes through a trend of music that greatly inspires that specific era on what to wear, how to act, and what to say” says Brandon Albert from The Ohio State University.
How do women feel about their place in music? Ladies know exactly how they are portrayed – because sex sells (and they know that). It’s now up to them to comment on that and embrace that norm of society. The fragility of Millennials can’t fix all our problems, and that’s why musicians are taking a stand to prove their point of embracing what it is to be a woman in music.
