Nasty by Nature: The Persistent Marginalisation of Black Female Artists in Pop Music
Tinashe’s struggle for mainstream success reflects a historic pattern in the music industry.
Hi Besties,
Have you been a Nasty Girl? If you’re on Twitter or TikTok, you certainly have.
Tinashe’s new single, Nasty is the latest song to have X (formerly Twitter) in a chokehold with its infectious beat and unapologetic lyrics. Its memeability, however, is what has catapulted the song to the top of the charts (and my playlist).
Yet, despite this virality, Tinashe remains on the periphery of the coveted ‘main pop girl’ status. This phenomenon underscores a broader, historical pattern where Black female artists significantly contribute to the pop culture landscape yet often face an arduous path to the mainstream recognition they deserve. The music industry has been slow to elevate Tinashe to the heights reached by many of her peers. The disconnect between her influence on the culture and her commercial recognition is evident and reaffirms the endless hurdles Black female artists are forced to navigate.
This struggle is not new (we been known). It is a thread woven into the fabric of pop music history, tracing back to legends like Janet Jackson, the original Nasty Girl. As the youngest member of one of the most famous musical families, Janet Jackson built her own name separate from her brothers, particularly the illustrious Michael Jackson. Her album, Control, released in 1986 with lead singles like Nasty highlighted her assertiveness and dance-oriented sound. Her next body of work, Rhythm Nation 1814, helped certify her place as a pop icon.
Her intricately choreographed and produced music videos set a new bar for visual presentation and showcased their power in shaping an artist's messaging and influenced pop stars like Britney Spears, Rihanna and Beyoncé. Despite her undeniable success and impact, Janet Jackson experienced industry bias and public controversies, such as the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show incident. And unfortunately, these issues have sometimes overshadowed her contributions.
Like Ms. Jackson (if you’re nasty), Tinashe also places great importance on visual artistry and choreography in her music videos and live performances. Her music videos often contain dynamic dance routines and visually striking concepts, echoing Janet's legacy of high-calibre performance art. Like really who is doing it like her?
At the time of its release Janet Jackson’s "Nasty" was revolutionary in its nature, empowering women to stand up against disrespect. The themes explored in her song carved a path for the next generation of female artists to address similar issues. Tinashe builds on this legacy. In the age of social media and digital virality, Tinashe's "Nasty" has captured the zeitgeist by resonating with a generation that values authenticity and self-expression. The song is an anthem for those who openly embrace their sexuality. It continues the tradition of women reclaiming their narratives and challenging societal norms around female sexuality. This track also speaks to her autonomy as an independent artist after struggling for many years with her record label.
The song’s popularity on platforms like X reflects its cultural power is beyond it’s intended message.
The virality of Tinashe’s Nasty on X is more than a digital phenomenon; it is a testament to her impact on the cultural landscape. Black female artists like Tinashe continually infuse the music scene with fresh perspectives and innovative performances. Their work pushes boundaries and shapes trends, often without the institutional support that their counterparts receive. This pattern points to a broader systemic issue where the contributions of Black women are celebrated yet not fully recognised within the commercial hierarchy. Why is Janet Jackson not as big as Madonna? Why was Espresso preemptively declared the song of the summer, while Nasty wasn’t even on the table?
Like most industries, white male executives preside at the top of the music industry and often project biased views about the kind of music Black female artists can make. These biases have led to the pigeonholing of Black female artists into genres like R&B and hip-hop, limiting their opportunities to break into mainstream pop.
As we are aware by now, the media plays a critical role in shaping the public perception and visibility of artists. Black female artists are often placed at the bottom of the totem pole — underrepresented in mainstream media or misrepresented through negative stereotypes. This affects their ability to reach wider audiences and gain recognition for their work.
Black female artists have historically been overlooked for major industry awards, such as the Grammys. This lack of recognition not only affects their career opportunities but also contributes to the narrative that their contributions are less valuable. This level of discrimination affects emerging stars like Victoria Monet who was told it was too “early” in her career for to perform at the 2023 VMA awards after arguably having one of the best videos last year (like make it make sense) and goes all the way to the top like Beyoncé only having acquired ROTY once among the top three categories at the Grammy’s and Nicki Minaj (our modern day queen of rap) being blacklisted by the same organisation.
In turn, radio stations have been known to favour white artists for pop airplay while relegating Black female artists to niche genre stations. This segregation limits the audience reach of these artists. This biased view is also permeated into the digital age. Streaming platforms use algorithms that often replicate existing industry biases. If an artist is not already popular, the algorithms may not favourably recommend their music to new listeners, creating a vicious cycle where Black female artists struggle to gain traction.
Let’s look at Espresso as a comparative case and this is by no means a dig a Sabrina Carpenter (we stan the bubblegum pop queen in this house). Sabrina Carpenter released her latest track at what seems to be a definitive peak in her career, she performed the song live on SNL and is currently on tour with Taylor Swift the world’s biggest pop star. Despite having such a large platform, the song has been achieving great numbers with media exposure alone. If Tinashe’s song had not gone viral on Twitter, would anyone outside of her fan base even know about it?
Janet Jackson’s and Tinashe’s "Nasty" songs are powerful statements of female empowerment and self-assurance. Janet’s groundbreaking work laid the foundation for future artists to explore and express these themes, and Tinashe’s contemporary interpretation shows how these messages continue to evolve and resonate with a new generation.
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