Ellie Goulding laments gender disparity in music: We have to sexualize ourself

In an exclusive interview, singer Ellie Goulding opens up about the MeToo impact on gender equality in the music industry

According to British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding, the world of music is still not a fair place for women. That’s because she feels women have to push extra hard to prove themself and get noticed.

Ellie Goulding recently released a song, Easy Lover, also featuring rapper Big Sean (Photo by Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP) (Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP)

“When it comes to the music industry, I don’t think we have the point where we have equality unfortunately. It has definitely improved since the MeToo movement, which was really important,” Goulding tells us.

The Grammy-nominated singer continues, “I have noticed changes. I have noticed record labels paying much more attention to my well being. They are much more sympathetic when I am struggling with mental health. And I feel younger female artists are getting a lot more help than I did at the time”.

While the business game might be changing, the artistic wheel is stuck to a lens which continues to sexualise women.

“There is a sense that women still have to push themselves a bit harder than men still to have an impact. Whether your songs are good or not, if you’re not in that sort of small minority of artists like Beyonce, and rightfully, where you have astronomical success, you have to feel almost like you have to still sexualize yourself. You still have to be flirtatious, and there are all these things that you wish you didn’t have to do,” the 35-year-old says.

Here, Goulding, with hits such as Love Me Like You Do, Lights, Starry Eyed and Anything Could Happen, and more to her credit, asserts that there are definitely some changes for the better, but there are certain things that women “have to do that men don’t in the music industry to prove themselves as musicians and singers and artists”.

“For example, if you see the festival lineups, there is still huge male domination there. And I think we just gotta to keep talking about and being open about it and pushing it,” says the singer, who recently released a song, Easy Lover, also featuring rapper Big Sean.