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REPRESSION AS
EXPRESSION: GENDER
IDENTITY AND SEXUALITY
IN POPULAR MUSIC
Andrew James Lea
C3320442
Kenny Jenkins
Kenny Jenkins
Andrew Lea
Kenny Jenkins
Andrew Lea
Kenny Jenkins
Andrew Lea
A MASCULINE INDUSTRY
There is a level of hypocrisy when it comes to the reception of artists music and
contributions to the Music Industry. It is apparent that men and women arent
equal. PRS for Music report that their membership of over 95,000 songwriters and
composers is only 13 per cent female and AIMs 2012 membership survey
revealed that only 15% of label members are majority-owned by women. Lara
Barker (Organiser of the AIM Independent Music Awards) States in her
Huffington Post blog entry Mind The Gender Gap that statistics consistently
show that women in music earn less than their male counterparts. Although the
music industry registered to the UK Music Equality and Diversity Charter at the
beginning of 2012, there is little sign of conditions improving. Demographically
women on the music industry are doing the same as men, and are paid less than
them.
A comparison can be made from similar phenomenon of this kind can be found in
on the reception to an artists musical content, mainly lyrical and vocal content,
and seldom instrumentation or arrangement techniques. Further strengthening the
concept that genders in music are treated differently as the sound of an instrument
doesnt portray a performers sex from its sound alone. It is only when distinctive
qualities of gender are apparent to a listener do people begin to judge on more than
just merit and skill alone. The rules of social masculinity and femininity in music
are unbalanced and when it comes to content it is a matter of taste for what will
cause offense. While these rules arent formal of an artist having to adhere to,
that prevents the production of inappropriate material, featuring lyrical content
that suggests a singer isnt using their own gender pronouns or true sexual identity,
artists have rarely gone against them. When theres money to be made people are
less likely to take a risk of tarnishing a listeners perception, as first impressions
are important. When it comes to pushing boundaries, it can be detrimental to an
artists reputation, especially in the music industry that isnt to say, however, that
it hasnt been done before.
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Garland also makes reference to this in her article. One of Rihannas tracks Bitch
Better Have My Money (also known as BBHMM) the song and video drew
mixed reviews due to its abrasive and outlandish nature the lyrics and video
imagery which included Rihanna violently kidnapping a woman, stripping her
naked, smoking weed and drinking excessively. When asked for her opinion about
the negative reaction towards this work, Emma Garland said: Compare that
[BBHMM] with Drakes video for Hold On Were Going Home - a video with a
mobster narrative in which Drake plays a kingpin whose lover is kidnapped by a
rival gang, resulting in 7 minutes of revenge, gunplay, and violence against
women - which provoked a grand total of zero negative editorial pieces. This
further implies the illogical hypocrisy of public perception, and though both works
had similar violent themes, they were received in the different ways. Drake, a male
rapper, received praise by the media while Rihanna, a female singer, was chastised
for it.
Perhaps its because its shot like a HBO drama; full of heavy shadow and green
light filter, perhaps its because its narrative of man doing anything within his
means to rescue a female love interest is one people are completely accustomed
to, or perhaps its because it came from a male rapper with no obligation to be
particularly progressive in terms of gender roles, but nobody had any feminist
theory to throw at Drake. It seems contradictory, though, that Hold On Were
Going Home wasnt subject to anywhere near as much inspection as BBHMM
when they are essentially different versions of the same video. Perhaps the
realisation that feminism is a hot key word can make money from hasnt quite
extended to men yet. Fortunately, in this instance, Rihanna has sold over 200
million records in her career and one imagines that she isnt struggling financially.
It would take a lot more than some bad press to have a damaging effect on her
reputation, marketability and net worth, however less can be said for up and
coming artists and musicians.
Garbages front woman Shirley Manson, in an article called Playing It Safe: Why
Did Music Stop Being Honest & Fearless? explains that If you pay attention to
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who wrote all the modern pop hits, you may notice some names that keep popping
up. Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Ester Dean, Pharrell Williams, Sia Furler, Bonnie
McKee, Justin Tranter. Referencing how new pop music is manufactured by the
same minds Manson says, all of these hit makers and more are the ones who
write most of todays most popular singles. They have their formulas that work,
and the hits are shopped around to the most popular singers. While these
songwriters may not be against writing about issues other than partying,
heartbreak or being in love, more highlighting the fact that successful pop music
sticks to safe topics. So many of todays most popular hits were essentially
manufactured to please the masses. The masses, in this case, and according to the
Music Consumer Gender Breakdown in Great Britain in 2014 graph shows that
the majority of music consumers in the past, present and most likely the future, are
heterosexual males. The music industry, similar to any business that manufactures
goods, markets to a target audience and is essential for monetising artists music.
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MATERNAL MUSIC
In Sheila Whitelys Sexing The Groove Popular Music and Gender the author,
explores the ever-changing modes of expression within popular music, and in
particular, its relationship to genders and sexualities.
In Chapter 9: Female Identity and the Woman Songwriter contributor
Charlotte Greig indicates that people of all genders are free to write songs about a
variety of topics including: love and romance, heartbreak and betrayal, marriage
and relationships, infatuation and hopelessness, going out to the club etc. are
universally unisex in music in terms of lyrical content, however the topic
exclusively women can write and sing about is childbearing.
Charlotte Greig brings the subject of childbearing used in lyrics to attention in the
chapter, and reviews why there are seldom songs about giving birth. As this
experience is a hugely pivotal moment in a womans life, not having many people
sing about it seems unusual. Why doesnt anybody want to sing about the moment
they personally brought another life into the world? Greig points out that it takes a
female voice to sing such songs and that unfortunately that voice is still struggling
to be heard in the music industry. The author claims this is due to the lack of
women involved in the overall business. Helienne Lindvall agrees and states in
Behind the music: Where are the female A&Rs? that there are plenty of talented
women in music, but the people responsible for signing, developing and
promoting them are almost always men, and as a result dont take female music as
serious due to their lack of empathy for the female gender. For females to have a
better chance of breaking through with their music they are conditioned to stick to
material that is suitable to accommodate for the male dominated artist & repertoire
staff pool, hence the lack of songs written about child birth.
There are exceptions however, contrary to the previous statement, Greig did report
that there are songs about childbearing sang by females, though these are mainly
found in country music. They arent observed as anomalies in this situation due to
the story-telling nature of country songs in the genre. It is common for country
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artists who write and perform about certain experiences will do so regardless of
actually encountering them, and although Grieg lists examples of such songs there
are still not a lot.
There are a very small amount of exemptions in popular music. Some songs
performed by female artists make light references to their child bearing. Most of
them are, however, shrouded with an image or theme of common devotion, as to
cater for the wider audience. Two examples of pop songs that uphold the theory
are:
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The lack of diversity of sexuality in music has had a detrimental impact on the
struggling nightlife and entertainment industry.
The lack of reference to other relationships than heteronormativity is discouraging
members of the LGBTQ community from getting involved with nightlife culture.
The music industry is plugging social ideals into the clubbing environment that
arent to everyones taste, and therefore turning music and its environments into a
monotonous rat race according to DJ Sprinkles.
DJ Sprinkles, real name Terre Thaemlitz, is a trans female disk jockey, musician
and public speaker. In an article titled DJ Sprinkles: Music is the least interesting
thing about clubs Thaemlitz calls out the current lack of gender and sexual
identity references within the music played at clubs.
There is a historic connection between queerness and deep house, and also things
like transgenderism and vogue, that, to me, was really important and its utterly
absent. Moreover she claims that its not just about the music having broader
appeal:
It has to do with this cultural shift away from the necessity to actually have clubs
function as safe spaces for different types of sexual enactment.
With the lack of different sexualities included in music that is broadcast to club
revellers, virtually makes them non-existent and in result the need for a club to
obtain a safe space policy (a code of conduct implemented by music venues that
encourage a zero tolerance approach to discrimination, homophobia or other
related hate crimes) is diminished.
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FORGING MASCULINITY
Referring back to Robert Walsers statements in Forging Masculinity, he says that
in heavy metal music it is shaped by the discourse of patriarchy and attempts to
maintain females and femininity as entities designed exclusively for the male gaze.
Evidence of this and similar manipulation in music, show that comparable
principles are applied within other genres of contemporary music.
In a John Peel Lecture in 2013, Charlotte Church, a highly lauded childhood
classical singer, who has since changed musical directions stated that there are 3
main roles women to fill in the music videos of contemporary music.
The torch singer is described as a girl who is often depicted as being consoled by
her girl friends who help het to get over the evils done to her by a man, which is
often glorified as empowering while maintaining her sexuality to do so. (Beyonc
in Why Dont You Love Me, Miley Cyrus in Wrecking Ball, Britney Spears in
Baby One More Time)
The Not-So-Sexy, Torch Singing Victim
Church declares that, though this category appears less frequently, popular Soul
and RnB singer Adele falls into this category. Adele is known for not using her
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sexuality to see her records, however, lyrically her songs are almost without
exception written from the perspective of the wronged woman someone who has
been let down by the men around her and in a perpetual state of despair
Liberal feminists argue that women utilise these kinds of character roles for their
own gain. Such artists would be happy to flaunt their bodies, playing the role of
the male gaze item, as long as it means they sell records. However in an article
named Female Sexuality in Music: Empowered or Objectified? upholds that
radical feminism believes that such actions are pawns used to support the very
industry that they inaccurately claim to dominate.
Joan Jett, an American female rock singer, songwriter, composer, musician and
actress in 2001 said to the Sydney Morning Herald that she grew up in a world
that told girls they couldn't play rock 'n' roll. She said, My parents taught me I
could be anything in the world I wanted to be. That made me confused. I figured
out it was a social thing, what women were allowed to do. She took a stance
against this and stated, At a very young age, I decided I was not going to follow
women's rules. Her idols were all male but that didnt stop her from being a
female rock star. Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine she said her initial and
continuing inspiration was the British early-Seventies glitter-pop of T. Rex, Gary
Glitter, Slade and David Bowie, whose tough stance Jett most closely emulated.
Jetts determination inspired many artists to go against the social construct in
music and even use the repression experienced as form as expression in their
work.
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REPRESSION AS EXPRESSION
When second wave feminism in the 1960s presented an innovative outlook of
thinking for issues affecting various subdivisions of women, artists began to
include liberal and radical feminist themes in their music. By the 1970s iconic
female artists such as Cher, Donna Summer, Grace Jones and Chaka Khan were
introducing a new wave of sexual liberation to popular culture by experimenting
with sexuality in music.
Cases of contemporary artists who use their experiences with inequality as the
muse for their works have become increasingly more apparent in the 21st century.
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viral when former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham shared it online and has
since accumulated over 1.7 million views.
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SIRENs female music collective who have a mission to change the face of
white, male, cisgender dance music by creating, managing and performing
at their own events with entirely female staff.
The increasing trend of several female artists and musicians who are now
refusing to play the role of the distressed torch singer in their art and are in
pursuit of driving the 3 main roles women have in music to be
unnecessary.
However, it should be noted that these issues have been inspiration for many of
todays commemorated artists. If repression as expression was made redundant
the fight for equality would no longer be seen as a topic sing about in popular
music and would also see a fall in the release of feminist anthems as consequence.
One also cant help but wonder if some of the soul, (which some artists claim to
work so hard on pouring into every recorded second of their music) would
dwindle with it?
As is said in Ice Cream Camelot: We are the sum total of our experiences.
(Neblett, 2013) Experiences undoubtedly stimulate humans to create. While an
extreme example with todays society being as far away from worry-free as
comprehensibly possible, a perfect world could recede the meaning and purpose of
all emotional art forms.
However, when looking at the bigger picture, the eradication of emphasised
differences in gender and sexuality in music would inevitably mean a reduction in
adverse reaction to music or music videos and likely benefit the infrastructure of
everyone inside and outside of music and the music industry.
BBC Radio 4s Womans Hour Radio Host Jane Garvey asked Charlotte Church
in her John Peel Lecture:
At the end of the day this is about making money and theres nothing wrong with
making money what do we do about that?
To which Church replied, I dont have the answers, I just want to pose the
questions in hopes that people talk about it.
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Which reflects the concept of this essay. Gender and sexuality issues in
contemporary music are important because they create conversation and
conversation is the first step towards a moral solution to inequality, misogyny,
objectification, abuse, discrimination and any other injustices arising today.
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Terre Thaemlitz, Kate Hutchinson, DJ Sprinkles: Music is the least interesting thing
about clubs [online] (2014) Available:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/25/dj-sprinkles-terre-thaemlitz
Accessed: 9/10/2016
Walser R. Forging Masculinity Heavy Metal Sounds and Images of Gender (1993)
Hanover Wesleyan University Press
Whiteley. S Sexing the Groove: Popular Music and Gender (1997) New York
Routledge
Amanda Whitbeck, Shirley Manson, Playing It Safe: Why Did Music Stop Being
Honest & Fearless? [online] (2016)
Available: http://hiddenjamsmusic.com/2016/08/05/playing-safe-music-stop-honestfearless/ accessed: 07/10/16
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