PinkPantheress faces racial bias in electronic music despite chart-topping hit
UK artist PinkPantheress has exposed bias against black women who make electronic music, sharing the belief that she has been overlooked for certain career opportunities due to her identity, reports Music News Blitz’s Shameeka Voyiya.
The 24-year-old shared her experience with The Hollywood Reporter on 29 July, stating that, “people are less willing to listen to electronic music that is made by a Black woman.”
She continued: “That’s just [a] fact. There’s some considerations I would like to get as an artist which I might not be getting right now, since maybe it’s harder to put me into a genre.”
Hit-making era
Hailing from Bath, England, PinkPantheress quickly rose to stardom due to her unique blend of UK garage, drum and bass and bedroom pop. Her fresh sound resonated among a wide audience, with TikTok catapulting a few of her hits to the global scene.
She released her hit song “Boy’s a Liar, pt. 2” featuring Ice Spice in 2023 - a single from her debut studio album Heaven Knows - which entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at an impressive No. 3 position.
Heaven Knows later peaked at No. 61 on Billboard’s genre charts.
PinkPantheress was named Producer of the Year at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards, further asserting her global influence on electronic music.
Despite these accolades, however, not everyone is rooting for her.
Response to racial and gendered bias
“I’m in a very privileged position musically,” she said.
“But [I] can feel a little bit like I’m hitting all these markers and it still feels like I’m getting overlooked, simply because there’s a lot of people that don’t necessarily understand what I represent, nor do they want to take a look because I think it just doesn’t make sense for them.”
The experimental artist shared that she aims to challenge the status quo regarding how a pop star is supposed to look.
“All I aim to do is stay authentic and consistent.
“And occasionally, what I enjoy doing is [saying], ‘Well actually, I’m gonna prove you wrong, and I’m gonna do this, you are gonna like it.'”
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More accolades
Earlier in July, PinkPantheress received recognition from England’s University of Kent when she was awarded an honorary doctorate degree for her “contribution to and achievements in music in the digital age,” according to Billboard.
During her speech, she highlighted how budget cuts are impacting music programs across the UK.
“We’ve seen music departments lose funding all over the country though,” she said.
“It’s never been more important to give young people access to different artistic outlets…Trust yourself and lean on those who support you.”
