SPOTIFY male dominated playlists keeping women down

A range of interesting stats and details in this article reflecting on Spotify hitting it's ten year anniversary, but 1 is especially interesting, and maybe reveals one key means by which male dominance of the music industry is maintained.

Men dominate Spotify's own playlists, seen as key to modern success, leading to more user playlists which are male.dominated and so on.

Also intriguing because when I think of the biggest names in current pop and music generally its mostly female artists that spring to mind.

Spotify at 10: men dominate streaming service's most-played artists https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/oct/10/spotify-at-10-drake-ed-sheeran-and-eminem-lead-streaming-stats?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

See also:
Has 10 years of Spotify ruined music?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/oct/05/10-years-of-spotify-should-we-celebrate-or-despair?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

WOMEN still controlled by men, Instagram only space for genuine expression?

A good look here at how patronising patriarchy, an assumption that women are more pliable and will do as instructed, remains ingrained in the music biz, and an interesting side note on how being 'woke' (Katy bloody Perry's farcical attempt to show her socially conscious side leading to that garbling of language) is seen as important for branding and the opportunity to land marketing deals with brands.

A perhaps too uncritical, but useful, highlighting of Instagram especially as social media being the only space where female artists are permitted to freely express themselves - ignoring the product placement rife in these platforms and other forms of artifice.

Pop’s glass ceiling: why new female stars can’t break through https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/21/pops-glass-ceiling-why-new-female-stars-cant-break-through?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

Female gaze of Torres, Mitski and female directors

A quick note on the Torres video: mostly very dull, but 2 elements that might inspire some useful ideas
the David Lynch-like unsettling intermittent red lighting, and playing with darkness (possible Twin Peaks influence there)
the stoney-faced singer continuing to lipsynch with shower water flowing over her (wind effects have been used in other vids, anything like this adds visual interest and impact to a key convention, arguably bringing a postmodern deconstructionist approach in revealing, and revelling in, the absurdity of lipsynching). In practical terms it would be better to try and rig a shower head to a hose - or even point it out of a bathroom window if the external wall framing works (as bathroom framing would be very limited)

This is desire: Torres, Marika Hackman and the artists redefining the female gaze https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jun/16/torres-women-pleasure-fleabag-female-gaze-videos?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

REPRESENTATION Are women still male gaze others?

There has been a lot of discussion about the status of women in the music industry lately (echoed with a film industry debate too), with allegations swirling not just of secondary status but abuse too.

Although she was cruelly, publicly put down by Miley Cyrus (with cracks at the mental health of a woman who has suffered long term depression and a recent breakdown), Sinead O'Connor's plea for Cyrus to resist the sexploitation of male managers, executives and video directors still rings very true.

You can easily find lots of articles, recent and historic (look at Tina Turner or any number of 60s girl bands) to help add a deeper perspective to your own consideration of representations; how your media language choices signify and position various social groups.

Here's an excerpt from this pull no punches article:

It’s wearying if only because the stories – and the inevitable clamor that accompanies them – are generated at a constant churn, which makes them feel horrifyingly normal. Anyone who aspires to be a “woman in rock” (or pop) is only able to inhabit that scene as an “other”. They exist in a place where they’re only seen as women, as being to be looked at first, and as such can be relegated to subordinate status at any moment.

Sexism on repeat: how the music industry can break the cycle.

INDUSTRY GENDER Just 14/139 top figures female

ARTICLE: Who are the most powerful people in music? Jay Z? Kanye? Beyoncé? No, it’s old white men.

GENDER: Women less successful on Kickstarter?

Some useful data here in a survey reporting on the comparative levels of success of male/female Kickstarter appeals; females feature in none/1 of top ten most successful appeals across a range of media categories, and female teams fare significantly less well than male teams. However, the report also notes that females often look for smaller amounts (<$5k) and are just as successful in this limited range; females often look specifically to friend and family circles, potentially limiting the scale/ambition of appeals.

Gender in Crowdfunding (Based on Kickstarter Data) from Crowdfund Productions