A Feature for Semple Magazine...

BOOTY AND BEAUTY OVER TALENT AND TASTE
 
You've only got to listen to the current top ten to recognise that the artists tend to fall into two clear categories.  Firstly there are men, typically part of a band, who are for the most part left to dress as they choose, being recognised for their musical talent. Think Mumford & Sons, Bastille, Imagine Dragons et cetera and you're on the right track. Secondly, there are female singers, who perform tracks that have largely been written by others for the sole purpose of chart success. The latter group are scantily clad and famous for their defining body parts.  

When was it decided, or rather assumed, that a female musician will be marketed in a certain way to ensure that 'sex sells'? Surely if the artist has all t he other necessary talents for fame then her career should not be governed by how much flesh she flashes? However, in a society that expects and demands celebrities to look and act in a certain way, it would seem a considerable risk to attempt to break out of the typical mould of the female star. To do so might ironically prove more shocking than to continue along the ever-more-skimpily dressed route. So immense is the pressure to dress a certain way that even Madonna, despite her longstanding musical career, is still insisting on cavorting around in little more than her underwear, despite being a mother over the age of fifty.

It is important not to deny that male musicians surely face similar pressures; we are all aware of the typical 'poster boy' good looks that are part and parcel of many bands' fame.  However, it is the extreme pressure heaped on women which divides the two genders. The importance placed upon looks is far greater for the female, as they constitute such a defining part of her image. For males within the industry, by contrast, good looks seem to be merely a bonus - an easy way of securing a gaggle of obsessive fans who will relentlessly buy associated merchandise and scream wildly.

In the case of a mixed-gender group, the pressure appears to decrease, as with popular bands such as The Lumineers and Paramore.  Here, there is typically only one female within a band, the remaining (male) members dissipating much of the pressure that might have otherwise been exerted. The focus remains on the music itself and the skill of the band, and few or no corsets or hot-pants are required.
 
Songstress Kate Nash recently spoke out about her distaste for the intense focus on looks and body size within the music industry, arguing that when the media slate the looks of a particular singer they are simultaneously insulting any audience members of a similar build. The quirky singer appealed for publications to focus on the talent and objectives of each individual, ditching the information regarding age and weight for something with a little more gravitas.

Sadly, our current music industry feeds many of the same issues associated with celebrity life in
other sectors. Body dysmorphia, eating disorders and exhaustion are increasingly common - the notion of 'car crash' fame, in which the general public observe the rise and fall of an individual, is a phenomenon that will not go away as long as the industry remains in its current state.  Britney Spears is the classic example; a young innocent girl who rapidly rose to fame before it destroyed her. When Britney first appeared few would have suspected that she would later make headlines for drug abuse, violence, emotional breakdown and manically cutting off her long blonde locks.
 
In an ideal world, popular culture would be full of responsible personalities like Kate Nash, who are conscious of the image they portray and castigate the media when they cruelly home in on shallow flaws. Instead, however, the picture is more one of artists who tirelessly post photographs on various social media platforms, proudly displaying their fondness for drug use, tendencies to wear very little clothing, and pursuit of relationships that are publicly known to be violently abusive.

Yet there are two key female artists who have bucked the trend over the past few years. Both Adele and Florence Welch have achieved high levels of fame. And it is their clear vision and undeniable vocal skills that have defined their careers, as opposed to their flesh, proving that there is another way, which does not involve being pictured on the front cover of Playboy.
 
Undoubtedly, presentation and style will always be an appealing, glamorous aspect of the music business; but I would argue that what is required to change the current state of affairs is to market artists with a greater degree of taste.  It's true that sex sells, but it is my firm opinion that talent and taste will always hold far more value.

SOPHIE SEYMOUR