I have always loved a variety of music from Bach to Eminem, and from the Beatles to Kygo. My music choices have always been a large insecurity of mine. Because although Taylor Swift can be great for crying in the shower during a breakup, I have always loved alternative trap music. This week I really began to wonder, is there a reason for my insecurity? I began to explore the possibility that maybe my insecurities run deeper than I initially thought. Maybe my insecurities are based on a subconscious notion that as a society my music choices are viewed as less significant because I am a woman.
I have always been aware of minor discrepancies in the music industry; from salaries to public comments on clothing choices and body shapes. Yet, I have never made the connection that those microaggressions are a part of a bigger problem, that women as both artists and listeners are not valued equally. To say I was taken aback by the readings this week would be a complete and utter understatement. In the reading “A Spy in the House of Love” by Anne Powers, I was surprised by the copious use of derogatory language to discuss the female experience in the music industry. However, after reading Tracy Moore’s and Daphne Brooke’s articles I began to wonder if my theory regarding my insecurities was accurate. As we venture into hip hop, I am curious about the role women will play as not just artists but as listeners. Hip hop has never been seen as “feminine” and I am curious how that will impact the discussion moving forward.
Kanye West “Famous”
In this song, Kanye shares the iconic lyrics “I made that bitch famous” in reference to the VMA scandal in 2009 where he deemed Beyoncé the better artist. This song depicts the entitlement Kanye feels as a man in the music industry and undermines Taylor Swift as an artist.
Taylor Swift “The Man”
To stay on theme here, I decided to include a newer Taylor Swift song in which she describes the sexism in the music industry and beyond. She states, “They'd say I hustled, put in the work, they wouldn't shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve”.
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