International Women's Day 2019

Happy International Women's Day! I've been thinking long and hard about how to write this for a while (and have shared thoughts previously on my New City Sonics project), but I'd love to just start a little discussion on the social climate of the music industry.

The music industry remains inherently sexist - something discussed by Matty Healy of the 1975 at the BRITs 2019. Not to quote 'Men Explain Things To Me' (because even though I'm not Matty Healy's biggest fan, I really appreciated him using his platform to speak about the Ryan Adams case), but it needs to be spoken about more.

Healy quoted one of my favourite (and one of most intelligent music journalists in the industry today) Laura Snapes, about the Ryan Adams case. The case needs to be addressed, Adams is pretty high profile and these women who have come forward are too – Mandy Moore (who played Rapunzel in Tangled), and Phoebe Bridgers, both artists I love. Essentially, he’s been accused of abusing his position as a relatively successful singer-songwriter to say he will 'help' other musicians to find bigger success, such as Phoebe Bridgers…and expecting sexual favours in return.

When a male artist is revealed to be an abuser or a purveyor of sexual violence, the victim is still not given the support they need. The world is too attached to the 'mentally unstable, rogue-ish and troubled male' narrative. It remains a dominant discourse that women don’t understand the ‘art’ behind their statement, but art is no excuse for what Ryan Adams did. He is a sexual predator and abuser and shouldn’t be let off any more lightly just because he’s a white singer-songwriter.

You now hear his songs like 'Sylvia Plath' and there’s a weird undertone, it’s actually quite hauntingly perverse, not just some somewhat sexy lament that I used to think it was. The track is almost like he's taking ownership of a woman.

It's not just women who are struggling. Men are still unable to express as much emotion in their music as women- and in general. Think of Keith Flint, who committed suicide this week- we wouldn't have guessed. Did he feel like he couldn't talk about his feelings? It's possible.

A while ago, one of my musical heroes James Blake spoke on Twitter about how he's been referred to as a 'sad boy'. He dismissed this term as unhealthy and problematic.

See the tweet below:

Men are still unable to talk about their feelings without being bashed or undermined for it- yet another sexist aspect of this industry. RIP Keith Flint, and for god's sake, can all of you abandon this toxic masculinity in favour of being empathetic and accepting that emotions exist in this world, and you're allowed to fucking feel them.

This isn't to mention that those who are non-binary still face such hardship day in and day out, and it's hardly recognised by anyone. I see you, and I am here to stand & fight beside you for your acceptance.

Feminism is for everyone.

We have come so far, yet we still have so far left to go. Today, celebrate the amazing women around you, and feel empowered to spearhead more change. I hope you like the playlist, and big love to all the women out there who are killing it every day, not stopping until they achieve their dreams. This day is for you. I am proud of you all, and you inspire me to accept who I am and settle for nothing less than the best.

This day is to remember people like our mothers and grandmothers, Michelle Obama, Cleopatra, Emmeline Pankhurst, Rosa Parks, Malala Yousafzai, Serena Williams. Women who have changed the world we live in.

This day is for all of us.

From your little intersectional feminist and music nerd,

Ella xx