CONTENT WARNING: This opinion piece contains mentions of potentially triggering topics. Please use discretion when proceeding.
Historically, women within the music industry have faced sexism, sexual abuse and gender discrimination. This comes not only from the industry itself, but from the public as well.
Female artists are constantly criticized for nearly everything they do. The clothes they wear, the way they present themselves, the people they date, the list goes on and on.
Taylor Swift has been a major target for the majority of her career. Ever since the infamous MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) incident in 2009, in which Kanye West stormed the stage and took Swift’s microphone during her acceptance speech, West’s fans have relentlessly made negative and sometimes threatening comments.
Swift was also sexually assaulted in 2013 by Denver radio DJ David Mueller when he groped her during a photoshoot. Mueller sued her in 2015 for $3 million, claiming he lost his job because she wrongfully accused him. Swift countersued for $1, accusing him of deliberately groping her. She won the suit and the jury awarded her the “symbolic” $1 she sought. However, Swift faced a barrage of victim-blaming and insults stating that she must be lying.
Currently, Swift is arguably one of the most prominent and successful music artists in the industry. She is the only artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year four times. She is also the most Googled person globally, with 22.3 million global searches as of August 2024. Despite this, a very vocal portion of the public constantly ridicules her, flinging vulgar insults her way.
Many of these criticisms revolve around her dating history. And sure, Swift has dated a lot of men in the past. She has 12 public ex-boyfriends to be exact. Although, Justin Bieber has 21 ex-girlfriends and we rarely hear about that. In fact, some male artists have been in relationships where they have damaged the careers of the women they are dating.
Justin Timberlake was in hot water after his DWI arrest this past June, however, he faced more backlash for that incident than his treatment of women. He abused the double-standards women face to advance his career in the early 2000s at the expense of Britney Spears and Janet Jackson.
Female artists also face a plethora of negative comments about their bodies. This can have damaging effects on their body image.
In her 2020 documentary, Miss Americana, Swift opened up about her past struggles with an eating disorder. “I remember how, when I was 18, that was the first time I was on the cover of a magazine,” Swift said. “The headline was like ‘Pregnant at 18?’ And it was because I had worn something that made my lower stomach look not flat.”
Other female artists have struggled with eating disorders as well. Lady Gaga, Kesha, Alanis Morisette and others have spoken publicly about their experiences. Many of them have cited the unrealistic beauty standards placed on women along with high-visibility in the public eye as major contributing factors.
Female artists also are always expected to be cheerful, friendly, accommodating and available. When they try to be assertive and set boundaries, they are told that they are “difficult” and “divas.” Many of these comments have been said about Chappell Roan already.
At the 2024 VMAs this September, Roan got into an altercation with a photographer. Roan shouted at the photographer who made an inappropriate comment. Roan has also been vocal about setting boundaries with her fans and paparazzi.
“I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking […] is a normal thing to do to people who are famous,” Roan stated in a TikTok posted to her account. “I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job […] Doesn’t mean I want it. Doesn’t mean that I like it.”
This also brings up the topic of women’s safety in the music industry. According to a 2024 global study conducted by Tunecore, three out of five women in music have experienced sexual harassment, while one in five have been sexually assaulted. Over 70% of these women did not file a report in both instances because they believed nothing would be done or they feared retaliation. For women who did report when they had been assaulted, 38% felt they had been blacklisted from the industry. Only 15% felt supported.
Trying to get ahead in the music industry is a struggle for women. 35% of women had their career experience questioned compared to only 14% of men. Women are also twice as likely to discover they are being paid less than men in similar roles. In general, women are overlooked and unacknowledged.
In April 2024, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame based in Cleveland debuted its new exhibit, Revolutionary Women In Music: Left of Center. While this is a great step in the right direction, it is almost too little too late.
The Rock Hall has a sordid history of sexism since its opening in 1985. The first class of inductees in 1986 was comprised entirely of men. It wasn’t until the following year that Aretha Franklin was inducted. Even today, women make up only about 8% of inductees. For many of them, it took multiple nominations as well.
Considering everything that has been presented above, I believe there is a clear double-standard for women in the music industry. In order to truly change that, we all must work to make a difference. Consider the language you are using when referring to female artists. Think about the offensive jokes you are laughing at. And if you are thinking to yourself, “It’s not a big deal. These are celebrities we’re talking about!” How would you feel if someone said the same thing about your mother, sister, aunt or any of the important women in your life?
