To continue celebrating MI’s Women in Music month, we wanted to go straight to the source and share quotes by women in the industry, on how they deal with sexism, their careers, artistry and more. Being a woman in music is a unique experience that is necessary and thanks to some of these women, future female musicians will have an easier road to success.
It’s not always easy having to prove your talent and worth in the industry, but these amazing ladies have proven that with enough confidence and love for what you do, the music career of your dreams is possible!
1. Stevie Nicks
“My generation fought very hard for feminism, and we fought very hard to not be labeled as you had to have a husband or you had to be in a relationship, or you were somehow not a cool chick.”
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2. Janelle Monae
“I absolutely have encountered sexism in the music industry. I don’t look at myself as a victim…And certain behavior has been passed down and it’s been accepted, and I think it’s up to us as women not to accept it and lead by example. I won’t allow myself to be oppressed.”
3. Taylor Swift
“My hope for the future, not just in the music industry, but in every young girl I meet, is that they all realize their worth and ask for it.”
4. Nina Kraviz
“People were suspicious of a pretty woman making music on her own, with a vision. They couldn’t handle me. It was like: ‘It cannot be true that you can have lipstick on and make music.’”
5. Bjork
“I want to support young girls who are in their twenties now and tell them, ‘You’re not just imagining things.’ It’s tough. Everything that a guy says once, you have to say five times.”
6. Amy Winehouse
“I’m a girly girl. It’s just my music. It’s the only thing I have real dignity in in my life. That’s the one area in my life where I can hold my head up and say, ‘No one can touch me.’ ’Cos no one can touch me!”
7. Lady Gaga
“Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.”
8. Lizzo
“Everyone looks to an artist for something more than just the music, and that message of being comfortable in my own skin is number one for me.”
9. Kacey Musgraves
“From the get-go, I wasn’t going to sign a record deal unless I could completely do it on my terms…I’m not going to bend in hopes that it’s going to reach more people or whatever. It’s just not worth it.”
10. Jennifer Lopez
“I’ve always been fascinated about how much more well-behaved we have to be than men. I did get a moniker of being a ‘diva,’ which I never felt I deserved — which I don’t deserve. I’ve always been a hard worker, always on time, always professional.”
11. Lana Del Rey
“All that stuff about what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger is so not true. Do you know what makes you stronger? When people treat you and your art with dignity.”
12. Mary J. Blige
“Music makes us want to live. You don’t know how many times people have told me that they’d been down …But then a special song caught their ear and that helped give them renewed strength. That’s the power music has.”
13. Joan Jett
“Other people call me a rebel, but I feel like I’m just living my life and doing what I want to do. Sometimes people call that rebellion, especially when you’re a woman.”
14. Billie Eilish
“If I was a guy and I was wearing these baggy clothes, nobody would bat an eye. There’s people out there saying, ‘Dress like a girl for once! Wear tight clothes you’d be much prettier and your career would be so much better!’ No it wouldn’t.”
15. Hayley Williams
“It’s just my goal to make other girls feel as strong as I feel when I’m on that stage.”
16. Dua Lipa
“For a female artist, it takes a lot more to be taken seriously if you’re not sat down at a piano or with a guitar, you know? For a male artist, people instantly assume they write their own music, but for women, they assume it’s all manufactured.”
