Can we stop breaking female artists?

Do you remember when the whole world massively hated Sabrina Carpenter's new album cover? Yes, that often happens. Wherever you look, female artists are the target of criticism. Okay, maybe not every day – but it keeps coming back. Pop music is ‘too sugary’, artists wear ‘only lingerie’, and if they’re not singing about sex, it’s about heartbreak. It’s never good enough, right? It’s time for all of us to stop unnecessarily hating on these amazing women and finally hold those men accountable.

“Sabrina’s cover is anti-feminist.” “Renee Raps” album has no soul.“ ”Taylor Swift is a billionaire, so she’s terrible.“ ”Chappel Roann shouldn’t be mean to the paparazzi.” Does that sound familiar? You’ve probably seen one of these headlines or reactions in the media. It’s no secret that female artists are continuously judged and condemned for everything they do. And yes, while that hate continues, male artists like Chris Brown – who has a history of violence against women – still play in the biggest sold-out stadiums. Everyone is still lining up for Kanye’s new music, despite his undeniable controversies. Why are they hardly criticized, while women are always the victims of that endless hate?

The ‘latest victim’ of online hate

Criticism of female artists has become a kind of ritual, and no one is more often the victim of this constant hate than Taylor Swift. While men in the music industry just keep doing their thing, women are constantly scrutinized, as if their success can only exist if they meet the expectations of others. Take, for example, the reactions to Taylor’s albums. Every new project is immediately shot down. And that’s not coincidental. It’s a pattern of misogyny that affects her and other female artists time and again.

At the release of 1989 in 2014, she was accused of trading her country roots for ‘too sugary pop without depth’. In 2017, with Reputation, her new style was deemed ‘exaggerated’ and ‘too much’. Then fans suddenly thought that 1989 was much better. The ritual repeats itself: in 2019, Lover was burned down as ‘kid pop’ and Folklore in 2020? That was boring, everyone missed pop-Taylor. But when she brought back her pop sounds in 2022 with Midnights haar popgeluiden terugbracht, werd Folklore, which had previously been burned by those same people, was suddenly praised as her best work. When Taylor pulled out her songwriting skills again for The Tortured Poets Department, the lyrics were ‘too complicated’ and ‘too depressing’. It sounds like a vicious circle that only female artists seem to break. They never do anything good enough, or it’s ‘not poppy enough’ or ’too much pop’. Everything is exaggerated, criticism is constantly repeated.

And now, after the release of The Life of a Showgirl, the same old song: the criticism is there, the hate is there, and now people say her lyrics are ‘too simple and too happy’. Where is the innovative songwriter Taylor? It’s absurd that every step a female artist takes is constantly measured against what the world expects from her, while male artists can quietly keep making their own sound without anyone asking them why they’re not innovating.

The hate goes beyond just music

Those irritations are about much more than just music. Just look at the criticism Taylor received when she was accused of wanting to become a ‘trad wife’ after her marriage. Why? It all stemmed from two lines in her song Wi$hli$t: “I just want you – have a couple, got the whole block looking like you” and “Got me dreaming ‘bout a driveway and a basketball hoop.” Suddenly everyone thought that Taylor, who had always spoken out about feminism and women’s roles, wanted to give up her work and become a stay-at-home mom. Where does that assumption suddenly come from? Taylor herself said about this: “No, this is definitely not my last album. It’s shockingly mean to say. People don’t get married so they can stop working.”

This criticism is not only a reflection of the expectations placed on female artists, but also an example of how she is put in a box. She is not only judged on her music, but on her personal life and choices. Like when Taylor was condemned for flying a lot for her tour, while Travis Scott (who wasn’t even on tour) topped the list of most flights. Where is the hate for his behavior? Why isn’t he a ‘climate polluter’?

Where does this hatred of women come from? And why don’t male artists deal with the same reactions?

Let’s be honest: this hate doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s the result of deeply rooted stereotypes and a culture that simply still doesn’t treat women the same as men. The music world is dominated by men. Record labels, producers, managers – many of these influential positions are still held by men. They have always struggled to embrace the creativity of female artists. Instead of seeing these women for their talent, they are often reduced to their image or personal life. What do they wear on the red carpet? Which star are they fighting with? Are you starting a family? We claim to be increasingly female-friendly, but that hate remains persistent.

Yet male artists rarely receive the same scrutiny or criticism for their music. They are not judged on their image or personal choices. Sure, there will be a scandal here and there, but you really don’t hear anyone talking about how many women Justin Bieber has dated. Just look at Justin Timberlake: he completely dragged Britney through the mud, but no one talks about it anymore. And those women? They constantly have to justify every choice. Every cover photo, every song, little phrases and Instagram posts. We have come a long way in the world of feminism, but there is still a lot to gain.

Let’s set a good example, because pay attention: how we (or actually often men) treat female celebrities is a textbook example of how young boys will treat ordinary women. It’s time to break that behavior. Call them out. Discuss publicly what Chris Brown does, think about why Diddy has never been condemned for everything, why does Jeff Bezos have so much money? And we haven’t even talked about Travis Scott, where people literally died at his festival due to poor organization, and he still performs. I can’t count on one hand how many times I’ve heard “Kanye West is really a genius.” Yes, that music might be good, but why don’t you talk about his issues? Start talking about why men only sing about sex, and leave Sabrina Carpenter alone. Or better yet: leave those women alone. Thank you.