A rippling wave has been triggered as more and more female musicians have spoken up in solidarity. Chloe Little, the other half of the duo ‘Wings of Desire’, shares some unsettling stories that all have a common theme of gaslighting. At age 19, she sent a notable producer her music. After he expressed his enthusiasm, he invited her to work with him. The producer, a man double her age, invited her not to a professional location, but to his hotel room in Mayfair to collect the music. The fear of confronting him at her young age played a big role, along with the manipulation that she would have to “prove” she was good enough and to do so, this was the “normal” protocol.

The British singer and songwriter Katie Waissel, who rose to fame on season seven of The X Factor, spoke up on the 30th of January, 2024. The 38 year old interviewed with Sky News, and stated that her time within the industry was a “frightening place to be.” Like Chloe, as young as sixteen, most of the time Waissel was “unsure of what (was) actually happening.” She reported to The Sun that X Factor “ruined her life,” and in early 2023, she was planning a legal battle against one of the companies that run X Factor: Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment. 

Despite great changes that have occurred, it hasn’t changed the toxicity behind closed doors. Men in powerful positions often use the vocabulary related to female mental health to mask misogyny. A stomach-churning method that has worked because the public have sympathised with this vocabulary, which has driven “change”.

The root of Katie’s reluctance to speak out was the fear of losing her job because of the “zero-transparency” non–disclosure agreements (NDAs) which were left unsigned. These contracts were shown to her without receiving any guidance. She described that every speck of the music industry was led by powerful male figures who operated within the same circle. Interviewee of Sky News describes it as a “boys club.” All of which,  “swim in the same pond.” The music industry is “A very small pond – with fish that believe they are large.” (Waissel) This hierarchy of figureheads, whether these are leaders of PR / marketing firms, or record labels, possess a style of behaviour that resembles a cardboard cut-out of one another. She describes this replication of behaviour as a “trickle-down effect”. The bosses behaviour sets a precedent which is subsequently seen as socially acceptable.

This is a tremendously important conversation because, as Waissel states, she has “finally found the confidence” to contribute to the conversation, and she expresses her disbelief that this “hysteric behaviour has been going on for so many years…” She was motivated to speak up after the Women and Equalities Committee spoke out in early January, 2024. MPs have outwardly stated that misogyny and discrimination is endemic in the industry. The Committee has gathered that women are holistically underrepresented in key roles of the industry. 

It appears men have copied one another’s behaviour because of the underrepresentation of women within the industry which has created a toxic power imbalance. As a response, and new mother of one, Katie has pursued a career into protecting artists within the creative sector. She is now the founder of the OWHL Foundation which offers support to female artists – a service she wished she had access to during her time within the “pond” that is the music industry. She is “turning poison to medicine,” states Waissel. She is contributing to an important time in music history, something that has potential to reach the successful heights gained by the “MeToo” movement in 2017. More and more artists are speaking up about the darkness behind the previously pristine and glamorous face of the UK Music Industry.

On my birthday I’m so happy to share my cover and shoot for @NumeroMagazine!! You’ve got this for now but stay tuned as I’ll probably be posting a hell lot more since it’s my birthday bitches!!! Thank u to the amazing team that put this whole shoot together pic.twitter.com/iKsfyDWRvO

— Rita Ora (@RitaOra) November 26, 2020

Despite having a successful music and television career, Ora has said that there is a long way still to go before women see equality in life. “We as women are fighting every day to have equal pay, to have an equal voice, to be able to not be judged, to express our femininity in a way where it doesn’t undermine our power. Those are things that we fight for every day. Gender equality is something that I stand for. I’m very passionate about it.”

Ora has said that she is very fortunate that her career is strong and stable enough to carry on, saying, “For me, the defining moment is sustaining my career. Being able to still sit here today, take incredible photos, be able to talk about my career 10 years on.” Still facing adversity, Ora takes solace and pleasure knowing that she’s still continuing despite the unfair nature of the industry based solely on her gender. Ora has been open about her fight for equal rights across all discrimination from racism to homophobia.  

 

 

 

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Earlier in the year (August 2020) Ora, alongside other musicians of the likes of Little Mix, Lewis Capaldi, and Nile Rogers, wrote an open letter for a call to end racism in the music industry. “We are at our worst when we attack one another,” was among the statements on the letter. It came after Grime artist Wiley’s anti-Sematic posts on social media. The letter went on to say “that love, unity and friendship, not division and hatred, must and will always be our common cause”. 

Ora has had a very successful career. Starting by featuring on DJ Fresh’s single ‘Hot Right Now’ (which reached number 1 in the UK), she later went on to release her debut album ‘Ora’ later that year (August 2012) which also reached number 1 in the UK. As well as music Ora has also seen a successful acting career, starring in movies like 50 Shades Of Grey and Detective Pikachu. Earlier this year (2020) Ora alongside Lewis Capaldi released a single ‘How To Be Lonely’

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Discrimination in any workplace is wrong, people need to speak out against it and Ora’s strong presence and stance on women’s rights is getting recognition. Hopefully, we can start to see a change for the better where we can be in an industry and a society with equal rights for everyone.