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Two up-and-coming musicians reveal where the Australian music industry can do better

IMAGES VIA JD SPORTS

WORDS BY FASHION JOURNAL

Sydney-based musicians A.Girl and Jessica Jade weigh in.

It’s no secret that being a womxn in a creative industry isn’t easy. On the whole, we’re underrepresented and have to jump over a lot more hurdles to achieve even a fraction of the success many men enjoy. But times are changing – womxn in these industries are no longer asking to be heard, they’re demanding it by intentionally carving out their own spaces.

JD Sports and Adidas recognised this in their latest campaign, Watch Us Move. It’s a powerful celebration of womxn’s achievements that features an all-star cast of ten Australian creatives who are making moves in their respective industries, be it dance, music, art or skating. These women are united in their determination to challenge the status quo and band together in an unapologetic manner.


Looking for more music-centric content? Try our Music section.


Two of the women that feature in the campaign are Sydney-based musicians A.Girl and Jessica Jade. They’re all too familiar with what it’s like to navigate a male-dominated industry and have each written an open letter to the Australian music industry, explaining where it can dig deeper, and do better.

A.Girl

Dear Australian music industry,

I’ve been singing for what feels like most of my life, to be honest. When I was first starting out I thought what it took to make it in this biz was big record deals… and if you didn’t have that, you weren’t getting anywhere. I expected events every night where everyone dressed like superstars. I basically expected the music industry to be all glitz and glam and board meetings all the time with dat big scary CEO guy.

Did my expectations live up to reality? Yes and no! Everything but needing the big label with the big budgets. You can make your mark without these things. There are a ton of events and when the mood is right it’s a big vibe, and yes, everyone looks like superstars! Fits be dripping when they step out.

But the scary CEO meetings are not a thing unless you make it a thing in your mind. My team and I have meetings face to face and over Zoom and honestly, it’s fun and productive. I thought that those scary CEO meetings and needing to have a big label to make it was normal, but artists are figuring out quick they need us as much as we need them.

I’ve had loads of experiences where I felt let down in my position as a woman, but I never let it get me down! I don’t like dwelling on those moments too much. I stand pretty solid so it takes a lot to shake me, but it does still happen regularly. I’d love to see the music industry dig deeper and do better when it comes to making women feel more included and secure in the hip-hop scene. Like yeah, there is love for us, but we want the same hype, same opportunities and same level of recognition they give the boys. Respectfully.

My advice for women making their space in the music industry is to BE YOU ALWAYS! And stand solid! We gotta give cred and love before expecting everyone else to support us. A piece of advice that has stuck with me through my journey is to remember to be authentically you in all situations. And listen to your mum.

@agirlartist

Jessica Jade

Dear Australian music industry,

When it comes to working with women, young women in particular, I want you to know that trust takes time. Nurturing and understanding are important in developing that trust and safe space with female artists (don’t take it for granted).

I’m lucky enough to have a safe space where the males in my career give me freedom and encourage me to pursue my dreams. In the beginning, it is a struggle to find that safe space, which is why I think there are so many female artists that haven’t reached the level that they want to reach yet, which is connected to why there isn’t enough female representation in the Australian music industry.

Women can’t be the only ones giving credit where credit is due. If I could tell my 14-year-old self starting out in the music industry a piece of advice about working around male figures, I would tell her to trust her intuition. Give energy to those that want to build a relationship, and to not let anybody try to take control of you or your art. Peace!

@jessicajadeofficial

Head here to watch the ‘Watch Us Move’ campaign.

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