JAKARTA - Alicia Augello Cook, better known as Alicia Keys, launched a sharp criticism of the global music industry structure which she considered still very discriminatory against women.
The 45-year-old singer-songwriter described the world's music ecosystem as an "old boys' network" that tends to be closed to female talent, especially those who work behind the scenes.
Keys highlighted a rather worrying statistic regarding women's involvement in the technical aspects of music production. Based on data from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, women's representation in producer roles is very low - a bitter reality that Keys' personal experience during her decades-long career in the industry also confirmed.
According to him, the obstacle is not due to a lack of competence, but because of the absence of equal access between men and women.
"The music world is a long network of men and all the amazing women who work as audio engineers and producers are not given an open door. Women only make up about two percent of the entire business," Alicia Keys said in a recent interview with The Times of London.
"I'm a producer and this is where we are, doing a lot of work, working really great, so it's shocking that the numbers are so small. Instead of just being angry about it, it's time to create opportunities," he continued.
Keys also reflected on her work, which is often considered a song that empowers women. However, she admitted that the messages of feminism in her lyrics emerged organically from her personal vulnerability, not just a marketing strategy.
He explained that many of his songs were born when he was feeling weak, so the lyrics became a way for him to motivate himself to survive in the midst of corporate industry pressure.
"I didn't aim to make a song with a feminist message, and it was mostly written because I didn't feel that strong, so I had to motivate myself to keep going, but it does become a common thread in my works," he said.
Furthermore, the singer of "If I Ain't Got You" gave a crucial message for new musicians not to only focus on the creative aspect, but also be open to owning assets and businesses. He warned that the music industry is often filled with parties who only care about profits without thinking about the sustainability of the artist's career in the future.
"I'm going to tell them to think about how to be the owners of their own creations. Nobody tells you these things. You deal with all these executives and lawyers who are happy to take a percentage and charge overages, but they never ask, 'How can we make sure you stay here?' "Keys concluded.
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