Self Esteem speaks out on Misogyny In Music report: “Equality is a long way away, but this is hopeful”

Self Esteem has spoken out against sexism in the music industry following the publication of the ‘Misogyny In Music’ report.

In a document published yesterday (January 30), the report undertaken by the Women And Equalities (WEC) Committee said “urgent action” was needed to tackle the issue, adding that the industry is “dominated by self-employment and gendered power imbalances”. It also claimed that sexual abuse and harrassment was common, and that women faced limitations in opportunity, a lack of support and persistent unequal pay.

Now, Self Esteem – real name Rebecca Lucy Taylor – has spoken about her own experiences with misogyny along with her thoughts on the report’s findings. You can listen to the full interview with her here from 24:45.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4, Taylor called the report “exciting”: “I didn’t think in my lifetime I’d see any transparency about it,” she shared. “You are made to feel like you’re being over the top, too much, a princess, a diva. Now, me at 37, reading this report I’m going – well yeah, I feel validated.”

She added: “I get rang about this time every year to talk about [why there aren’t] female headliners at festivals and I say the same thing about it every year which is – of course there isn’t. It takes a decade to have a career that means you could headline a festival, and most women quit because it’s such a dreadful environment, it’s an unsafe environment, it’s unregulated. Plenty of people just deploy logic and leave the industry”

Taylor then said she “could cry thinking about the women who haven’t been able to make music and say the things they’d like to say. We revere Bowie and The Beatles, there are so many women that were just as good, but they never got the chance”

The pop singer also opened up about her own experiences of sexism within the industry, saying: “What I’ve seen in the last five years is an industry that is a bit frightened of me. They constantly say that I’m intimidating and stuff like that. That to me is a cop out and very boring. I want to be challenged just as much as a man would be, you know.

“Equality is a long way away, but this is hopeful in the sense that it’s in the zeitgeist.”

Other figures who have spoken out about the report include Annie Mac, who initially gave evidence to the Committee and told them there was a “tidal wave” of sexual abuse cases.

The former BBC Radio 1 DJ elaborated further yesterday upon the news of the report, writing: “We all know that in every area of the music industry, from recording studios to live to publishing to labels, men have all the money and ultimately, all the power. Women, ( cis and trans ) especially young women, and even more so young women of colour, are being consistently undermined, underestimated and put in situations that are unsafe.”

Black Lives In Music (BLiM) also responded to the reporting, with the BLiM Chief Executive Dr. Charisse Beaumont saying: “I’m deeply moved by the findings of the WEC Misogyny in Music Report. It validates our experiences, particularly those of Black women in the music industry. The data mirrors the challenges we face and amplifies our voices, calling for an industry where everyone, regardless of background, can flourish.”