Alicia Keys has been outspoken about the barriers women face in the music industry, describing a deeply male network that keeps female producers and engineers locked out, and calling for action rather than frustration.
In an interview with The Times of Londonthe 17-time Grammy winner pointed to a striking statistic to underscore the scale of the problem.
“The music world is becoming a good old boy network and all the incredible women who work as engineers and producers don’t get an open door,” she said.
“Women make up 2 percent of the entire business. I’m a producer, and here we do a lot of work, kill it, so it’s shocking that the number is so small. Instead of just getting mad about it, it was time to create opportunities.”
Keys also reflected on the feminist themes that run through her own music, gently pushing back on the idea that they were always deliberately placed.
“I didn’t set out to make feminist message songs and most of them were written because I didn’t feel that strong, so I had to give myself a pep talk to keep going, but it’s a thread through my work,” she said.
She also used the interview to give a frank warning to new artists about the business side of the business, urging them to take ownership of their creative work from the start.
“No one tells you these things,” she said.
“You’re dealing with all these managers and lawyers who love to take their percentages and overcharge you, but they never say, ‘How can we make sure you’re here to stay?'”
Her advice: Become your own advocate as early as possible.
