Since the origins of the modern music industry, men have dominated the charts and been at the forefront of many of the industry’s biggest names. Despite the success of the women who have been huge names in pop music for years, there is still a large gap between men and women in the industry.
The underrepresentation of women in pop music is a problem that has continued into recent years. A 2019 BBC article found that “ninety-one men or all-male groups were credited on the Official Chart Company’s top 100 most popular songs of 2018.”
Today in 2023, while the gap between men and women is still very evident, a number of young women are making waves through their pop music and paving the way for young female artists of the future. Artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Madison Beer are three prime examples of musicians who are creating an industry that is beginning to allow women to truly succeed.
Since her start on Disney Channel in “Girl Meets World”, 24-year-old Sabrina Carpenter has revealed herself to be an extremely talented musician as well as an actor. Carpenter released her first single in 2014, titled “Silver Nights”, and has continued to gain immense popularity in the pop industry since. She garnered even more publiciity particularly after the release of her 2022 album “emails i can’t send”, an album she called her first “big girl album” in an interview with Variety.
As her fifth studio album and first release under label Island Records, “emails i can’t send” has been a massive hit. Ranked at 44 on Rolling Stone’s “Best Albums of 2022”, the album has pushed her to the forefront of the pop music scene, gaining popularity to the point of her opening for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in August 2023 in Mexico City, as well as headlining the Eras Tour’s Europe dates.
20-year-old Olivia Rodrigo is another pop star who got her start on Disney Channel and has recently become a staple name in the pop industry. After starring in “Bizaardvark” and “High School Musical: The Musical – The Series”, Rodrigo entered the music industry with her hit singles “Driver’s License” and “Deja Vu”.
Quickly emerging as a rising star in pop music – and becoming the first singer to have her first two singles debut in the top 10 on Billboard’s “Top 100” – Rodrigo released her freshman album “SOUR” in 2021 and won a trio of Grammys at the 2022 awards, including the “Best New Artist” award.
Rodrigo recently released her sophomore album “GUTS” in September of 2023, an album full of songs that depict what it truly feels like to be a young girl growing up today. “GUTS” received an 8/10 from Pitchfork, debuted at number one on Billboard’s top 200 albums chart and is in the running for the 2023 Grammy awards.
Madison Beer is a third major name in the pop industry right now, particularly with her recent album release, “Silence Between Songs”. The 24-year-old gained popularity in 2012 after Justin Bieber posted a link to one of her YouTube covers on his own social media. Since then, Beer has gone on to release her own music, beginning with her debut EP “As She Pleases” in 2018.
Beer has skyrocketed in popularity in 2023, partially due to the release of her memoir “The Half of It”, a book detailing her mental health experiences and the trials of being a teenage girl, as well as the September release of Beer’s second album “Silence Between Songs” which explores deeply personal topics like love, family and trauma. A review of the album from Beats Per Minute says that in “Silence Between Songs”, Beer is “honing in on her sound and voice to explore inner turmoil”.
Through artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Madison Beer, young girls are able to not only see their feelings and experiences represented in music, but also to have role models to show them they too can succeed in the music industry. Though the music industry is largely dominated by men, many young women are paving the way to create a setting where female voices (and songs) can be showcased as well.
