GENDER ISSUES IN DANCE MUSIC UNCOVERED

Female and non-binary artists were the primary performers on just 5% of the most popular dance and electronic tracks in the U.K. from 2020 to 2022, according to a new report on gender representation in the genre.

By contrast, 58% of the tracks analyzed in the report by The Jaguar Foundation—initiated by BBC Radio 1 DJ Jaguar Bingham—had an exclusively male performer as the primary artist or guest.

In total, 95% of tracks featured men and only 42% featured a female or non-binary artist as the primary or secondary performer (the latter designation made up the majority).

The picture is similar on radio. While 44% of the top 200 dance/electronic airplay tracks in 2020-21 feature a female or non-binary artist, less than 1% showcased non-male acts exclusively. More than 99% of tracks included male artists, while 55% featured male artists exclusively.

In 2022 the average percentage of female and non-binary dance and electronic artists performing at sampled festivals was 28%, which was at least up 14% from 2018.

Other issues raised by the report span a lack of diversity among decisionmakers in the live industry, the safety of artists at venues and the impact of continued pressure from the “male gaze” on female image and confidence.

The inclusivity rider—"stating that the artist will only play on a lineup if there is at least one woman, trans or non-binary person or person of color playing alongside them," per Bingham in the Guardian—was advanced as a potential solution to the disparity.

In the U.K., dance was the fourth-most-consumed genre in the singles market in 2021, accounting for a 10% share, according to the BPI.