FEATURE:
An Overdue Renaissance
IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé/PHOTO CREDIT: Beyoncé
Will the Success of Beyoncé’s Tour Create Better Visibility of Black Female Artists?
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MAYBE something that has always existed…
IN THIS PHOTO: Little Simz
in music but needs to change. There is that mainstream and the biggest artists promoted. The ones who are played the most. These that are afforded the most press attention and seen as the leaders of Pop. More often and not, definitely when it comes to women, are white. Not to take anything away from giants like Taylor Swift and her peers. They are tremendous artists who are influencing generations of girls and young women. I still think that the industry and media does not highlight and promote Black women and women of colour as much as they should. Those incredible role models being shone and celebrated. It does raise questions around greater visibility and celebration of Black female artists. Not to say there is a huge shortage. From SZA and Jamila Woods to Mega Thee Stallion and Little Simz, there are amazing queens who are at the top of the game. I still think that the artists who court the most focus and are discussed as much are white. There is a homogenisation still at the very top. When you consider the incredible Black female artists throughout music, I wonder whether they are seen as equal or are seen as ready and natural role models. Is there still a bias happening? Not that the music has a problem with race – though it does in some ways -, although there is something to be said about the fact that there is a bias for sure. It got me thinking about Beyoncé and her recent Renaissance Tour. A global smash and hugely well-received demonstration of her phenomenal live prowess, it will no doubt have connected with so many women around the world. What about fellow Black female artists coming through that will follow behind her? I wonder who her successor will be. This incredibly powerful, important and influential artist who is this immense source of love and wonder. An artist who is touching so many people.
IN THIS PHOTO: Megan Thee Stallion/PHOTO CREDIT: Campbell Addy
We think about Beyoncé and all that she has given. How she has inspired people for years now. Not that she is retiring anytime soon, though who is there being shaped in her image? A young black female artists who is coming through who will have that sort of stature in years to come? No doubt the talent is out there. My worry is that there is not the same opportunities given to and appeal of these artists than a future Taylor Swift or Dua Lipa. Maybe things have changed the last few years but, as you can read in this article, there was a preference for white artists. That dominance that holds back Black women. Think about Normani,. Mega Thee Stallion, Little Simz, Cardi B, SZA and their sisters who are dominating the industry. Whilst recognised and hugely successful, is the industry marketing them as icons and queens? There is a much readier packaging of white artists and their future potential. Not that Beyoncé is the only huge Black female artists at the forefront. She is the name people jump to when asked that question. Compare that to how white artists are marketed and more visible. In 2020, VV Brown wrote for The Guardian about how music’s white infrastructure is holding back Black female artists:
“It was exhausting having to prove to the industry that I wasn’t some sassy, aggressive diva. I was tired of worrying about feeling isolated and ridiculed on photoshoots for having afro hair. I was tired of being stereotyped, I was tired of journalists assuming I was a soul singer and never a producer. I was tired of white so-called feminists playing a huge part in the racism towards black women within my music industry and feeling unable to talk about it.
I would see countless images on social media of “UK women in music” conferences championing the progress on gender within the industry, yet with no black women to be seen. I would notice tight cliquey networks of white women in the industry supporting other white artists but ignoring black artists. It was unconscious, unintentional, packaged politely – and was never done in a way that meant to cause harm. However, it was deeply rooted in the industry.
Black female artists are used, abused, discarded and mistreated. The patterns of disparity are undeniable. Our careers have quicker expiry dates than our white counterparts and we are not promoted or treated with the same intent. There sometimes seems to be a one-in, one-out rule so rampant it can feel like a factory line of disposable blackness.
As I took my headphones off after listening to Laura Mvula’s latest album, Pink Noise, I almost wept because of her brilliance. I was so frustrated that her previous label had treated such a genius with such disrespect and I hope that she will receive the high praise she deserves. I thought about the British black female musicians who have come and gone over the years, and how their talents have never come to light in the same way as their white counterparts.
Artist Raye has spoken out about not being allowed to release her music, and throughout my years in the business there have been countless black artists in exactly the same position. I experienced it myself. For two years I was unable to release music and was completely neglected. I negotiated myself out of my first record deal in a 24-hour web cafe at 1am.
We musicians are trained to be silent about our experiences because there is a heavy stigma that our rebellion will be categorised as aggressive, bitter or ungrateful. We are supposed to accept what we are given because to be black in this industry is thought to be even more of a privilege for us than for white artists.
Why hasn’t the UK music industry produced a black pop star like Rihanna, and why do so many of us instead make our success overseas? I sold more than a million records in the US and had a strong fan base, but my album was derided as music for a children’s party by NME, and it spoke of “sass” as if I was a soul singer who’d just picked up a mic and danced.
Black female artists don’t lack talent, it’s the white infrastructure that stops them from fulfilling their potential. Our careers are in the hands of people who take from our culture and package it for the masses through a white gaze, whereas success stories of black individuals often arise from independent, grassroots, progressive platforms.
The next time you see a white female British artist on television, count the number of black women who stand behind them, supporting the continuation of white female artists singing music from our culture. The next time you see anything to do with championing women in arts, count how many black women are speaking. The next time you see an article in a music magazine, think of how few black women in the industry have the power to make executive creative decisions. The disparity is obvious and it needs to change”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jennifer Enujiugha/Pexels
You do sense the industry wants to change. Of course, it doesn’t just apply to Black female artists when we think of bias. All Black artists face this struggle. This 2021 article how Black artists were self-releasing music because there was a bias against them. Struggling to get major label attention. The opening words make for shocking reading:
“Racism in the British music industry is "serious, upfront and personal", says the author of a new report about the experiences of black musicians.
"Prejudice is here," says Roger Wilson of the Black Lives in Music initiative. "There's nothing stealthy about it."
The report finds that six in 10 black music creators have experienced racism, while 86% say they have faced barriers to their career because of their race.
They also earn £299 less per month, on average, than their white colleagues.
The report was compiled from the biggest-ever survey of black musicians and music industry professionals in the UK.
In total, 1,718 people responded, describing a range of discriminatory acts and "sometimes hostile working environments".
One reported "having to repeatedly ask other artists to stop using the N-word", while another faced "jokes about [my] skin colour, Africa [and] persistent questioning about where I really come from".
Their testimonies echo recent revelations from stars like Alexandra Burke, who said she was advised to bleach her skin to "look whiter".
The singer, who won the X Factor in 2008, said she was subsequently told she would "have to work 10 times harder than a white artist, because of the colour of [her] skin”.
The ongoing and glaring lack of Black representation at executive level means that there is always going to be a skew against Black artists. With fewer Black artists signed to major labels and having the same opportunities and focus as their white peers, the industry does need to challenge this. Even a recent report like this shows that there is racism throughout the music industry. With this discrimination and prejudice existing at the lowest level, follow it to the top of the mainstream, and it makes sense that there is this pipeline issue when it comes to those amazing Black queens who are as big as Beyoncé. Someone who has that sort of platform who will then influence girls and young women. Whereas there are plenty of amazing Black women throughout music killing it and dominating, the mainstream and those artist who get the most focus are non-Black artists. For Black women who want an identifiable queen who speaks for them at the highest level, how many options and faces are there?! Think about how Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour was a global success. One can easily name a slew of other Pop artists similar to her and can succeed her if she ever steps away from music. When we think about young Black artists coming through years from now, is the industry doing enough to provide balance and quality so that they have role models being seen as equal or superior to other major artists?! It is quite worrying. If the industry is starting to become aware of the racism and bias that needs to be smashed, it will take a long time for things to correct. I am not even sure everything is being done to tackle it. Still this imbalance when it comes to festival line-ups and radio playlists. Black women in the minority there. Again, though things have improved this past few years, it is still not enough. Why are amazing Black women not seen as vital and worthy as their white peers?! A complex question, it is heartbreaking to see the industry still favour white artists.
I am going to finish with a review of Beyoncé’s globe-straddling spectacular. The Renaissance Tour was a phenomenon! Esquire had their say about an event that was truly iconic and unforgettable. Reason why we should be moulding and supporting young Black artists who will inspire the next generation:
“It’s 10:00 P.M. at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. We’re nearly two hours into Beyoncé’s marathon-like Renaissance Tour, and she finally pauses to address the crowd. “Thank you for coming,” she says, marveling at the sea of people who, on July 29, trekked to one of the tour's most anticipated stops. “Some of you have been with me for 20 years.”
That's me. I was introduced to Beyoncé at six years old, shortly after the release of her debut album, Dangerously in Love. I still remember holding the CD from my car seat, marveling at a mysterious woman in a glittery top, whose heavenly vocals boomed through our stereo. Twenty years later, Beyoncé is still a mystery to me—maybe even more so, following most recent album, 2022's Renaissance. At 41 years old, Beyoncé has three children and seven albums under her belt, but she can still sing like there’s an angel trapped in her throat. (She hasn’t let go of the sparkly outfits either.)
As Beyoncé finishes her speech, 80,000 fans erupt in a thunderous cheer. The floor shakes. Glitter floats through the air. Looking at the jumbotron, I swear there's tear in her eye. Beyoncé beams back at the audience, and everyone roars again. She doesn’t have to say much else. We get it. Beyoncé is a legend. Now, it's simply time to celebrate Renaissance.
PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Mazur/Parkwood Entertainment
The Renaissance Tour kicked off on May 10 in Stockholm, Sweden. From there, Beyoncé and co. traveled across Europe before making it to North America. By the time Beyoncé reached New Jersey, clips from her previous shows leaked online. Even a glimpse at the silver-hued concert hinted that the Renaissance Tour may stand as Beyoncé’s best work yet—and her most popular show ever.
Forbes predicts that the Renaissance Tour could earn around $2.1 billion by the time it wraps in September. If Beyoncé pulls it off, that will make her the highest-grossing female act of all time. That title currently belongs to Madonna, who—in July 2022—had earned $1.4 billion from her shows. Taylor Swift is next in line with a projected $1.9 billion in sales from her currently-running Eras Tour. According to Billboard, Beyoncé is well on her way to nabbing the top spot, earning more than $154 million from her European tour dates alone.
Like everyone else in the crowd, I attended the Renaissance Tour as a fan. But I was a fan on a nearly 20-year-long mission. We all know Beyoncé is Beyoncé (you don’t earn $154 million on a whim), but I wondered what I'd learn from seeing her live—dancing and singing along with her, plus, of course, mingling with the Beyhive.
One of the first people I run into is Zahir, who is proudly donning a sequined top. I simply ask why he loves Beyoncé. He says, “Her Blackness. She’s so in tune with her womanhood and voice.” The next person I talk to is Rickey Mile, a self-proclaimed superfan. He gives a dumbfounded look, as if any questions about Beyoncé's greatness go without asking. “She’s timeless,” he explains. According to Mile, it doesn’t matter when you see Beyoncé, what’s going on in her personal life, or which era of her career she’s in—the woman always puts on a good show.
After seeing the Renaissance Tour, I have to agree. The concert (and the album) is a homage to Beyoncé’s uncle, Johnny—a gay man who introduced her to house music. To say Renaissance would make him proud is an understatement. It’s one giant, queer party, filled with references to drag icons Kevin Aviance and Moi Renee, along with a cameo from viral ballroom dancer Honey Balenciaga. The stadium shook for three straight hours, with fans bouncing and rocking along to each song.
Given Beyoncé’s expansive catalog, there is a smattering of oldies woven throughout the show. But don’t be fooled. This isn't anything like Swift's Eras Tour. Instead of selecting songs chronologically, Beyoncé presents a mix of her favorite hits. The show opens with a powerful rendition of “Dangerously in Love,” which bleeds into the yearning ballad “1+1.” Then, just when you’re ready to profess your love to someone in the crowd, Beyoncé switches gears, performing the self-assured Renaissance track, “I’m That Girl.” The whole thing exudes rich aunt energy. Pure fun. No rules. And the atmosphere? Well, it’s like a reunion. After all, the last time the Beyhive convened was during 2016's Formation Tour.
You know that moment at a family party, when you see someone you don’t recognize, but feel an intrinsic connection to? That’s what attending Renaissance is like. Everyone is a stranger, yet also a cousin. I suppose that makes Beyoncé our matriarch. Just ask the troves of fans yelling “Mother!” during her set.
Perhaps that maternal energy stems from Beyoncé’s dedication to lifting others up. Along with the references to the aforementioned queer icons, Beyoncé uses Renaissance to celebrate Black women. During the show, she sings, “Break My Soul (The Queen's Version), featuring Madonna. The remix praises every Black performer who inspired them: Bessie Smith, Lauryn Hill, and Nina Simone, among many others. Later on, Beyoncé brings her daughter, Blue Ivy, on stage to celebrate their heritage, with the songs “My Power” and “Black Parade.” The Renaissance Tour feels like one giant love letter to Beyoncé's community—and because of that, every moment has a purpose”.
2024 needs to be a year when inequalities and biases are properly recognised. The industry fully committed to ending them. I think about the great female artists of our time and who the media is highlighting. The ones seen as most significant, popular and commercial. The landscape is not as balance and diverse as it should be. I think about Beyoncé and how important she is. Now in her Forties, who is there coming behind that is being seen as the successor to Queen Bey?! I hope the success of the Renaissance Tour will change things. Make the industry more aware that there are amazing Black women like Beyoncé who deserve a platform and more opportunities. Not being held back or limited. Whilst there are great Black women in Rap, R&B and beyond, not many are brought to the same level as artists like Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo or similar phenomenal artists. This needs to change. The music industry is only at its stronger when it fully embraces…
THE importance of diversity.