“Who runs the world? Girls!” Who runs the Nigerian music industry? Boys! This is the truth. As with many other industries, the music industry is dominated by men with women being in the minority.
Only a small percentage of female artists are successful. In spite of this fact, still there is still a new generation of upcoming singers and performers stepping into the industry, but many of us only pay attention for their seductive outfits, their raunchy videos, performances and social media fights.
Within two years, Yemi Alade become not just one of Nigeria’s biggest acts, but one of the biggest female acts in Africa with hits like ‘Johnny’, ‘Tangerine’, ‘Kissing’ and ‘Taking over me’. Her talent saw her rake in several awards in 2015 including an award at the MTV Africa Music Awards and the Headies.
Seyi Shay who already had an established career in United Kingdom decided to return home in 2011. It took almost three years before one of her songs ‘Murda’ was considered a hit.
There are several factors why the women seem to fall behind.
Profiling
Music has no gender, yet in the media, it’s obvious that gender usually precedes the talent. It’s common to see women described as “female rapper”, “female DJ” or “female singer”. This gender description is hardly ever used in the case of men.
Women also have to work harder with promoting their music. “Everything that a guy says once, you have to say 5 times”, Icelandic singer Björk told Pitchfork in an interview last year.
Lack of material in the public space
Another factor is delayed song/album release. Last year there was expectation of albums from the likes of Cynthia Morgan, Eva and Chidinma but fans were left disappointed by the deferment of their releases. Sometimes albums are delayed to create anticipation but sometimes this strategy can unsuitable for the singers marketing time. For instance, since Chidinma’s self-titled debut album, “Chidinma” came out in 2012; she is still yet to release another compilation.
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Sex symbol
Whether we care to admit it or not, the (sexual) attractiveness is a marketing criteria. Sadly that’s why many women struggle to stay fit, battle weight issues and wear provocative costumes to ensure they keep eyeballs on them.
Motherhood
Naturally, women are created to bear children. This function affects the career of women who decide to wear the hat of both mother and singer. There are some women who once their babies arrive their careers go silent. This is not always the case though. Tiwa Savage for example had a baby on July 22, 2015, five months later she released a new album.
One day, we will defeat sexism in the industry and who knows, women might just rule.
CREDIT: Pulse.ng
