Music videos, sold-out arenas, red carpets, and billboards, the music industry is one of the most profitable industries in the world. In 2020 the music industry amounted to around 23.1 billion US dollars. Studies show that from 2016 to 2021, the music industry grew by over 20% annually. Receiving so much attention, the music industry can become the face of many prejudices we see in everyday life, and body positivity is one of them.
There are a few names that have consecrated themselves in the billboards. From being ahead of their time to their timeless lyrics, there are many reasons. One of the most famous – and beautiful – voices nowadays is an artist that stepped down from her career a few years ago to focus on her personal life, but now is back with a new album: Adele.
Adele’s Weight Is More Important than Grammys?
Adele is a British singer-songwriter known worldwide for her heartfelt songs and incredible voice. She was nominated for a Grammy 18 times and won 15. However, when the phrase “Adele is the example that you can do anything you want if you try!” started to appear in various headlines and articles, it was not referring to her voice or new album, but her weight loss.
Adele had a 100-pound weight loss that stopped the internet in its tracks after she posted a photo on Instagram on her birthday in May 2020. She sold a lot of Vogue magazines when she was on the cover and told Oprah during an interview that she had a lot of hurtful conversations about her weight loss and how people expected something from her because of her private weight loss journey that took over a year.
“My body’s been objectified my entire career. It’s not just now (…)” Adele
How Many Artists Have Suffered Fatphobia?
One of the newer faces in music is Lizzo. She is a singer-songwriter that has taken the billboards for the last couple of years with songs like ‘Juice’ and ‘Truth Hurts’. She has always been verbally honest about her weight and body positivity. Even commenting in interviews where people ask her how she is inspiring for loving her body, to which she responds: why do people want me to hate myself?
Lizzo appeared in fashions shows like Fenty Beauty in underwear. Her cover album is a naked photo of herself – she makes a statement every time she can. However, she still suffers a lot of prejudice. Not only regarding her weight but also her skin color. She made a tearful TikTok video talking about the comments she received from her new music video with rapper Cardi B, which received a lot of backlashes.
“I really think people are just mad to see a fat Black woman that makes pop music and is happy.” Lizzo
The Fashion Industry and The Music Industry
This prejudice in the industry also involves the fashion industry. At the beginning of 2020, the Strawberry dress created by the fashion designer Lirika Matoshia became an internet sensation mainly because it went viral on Tiktok. Because of the price tag of $680, many Tiktokers decided to DIY the dress. The sudden interest in the dress sparked comments on fatphobia.
Why?
Because the plus-size model Tess Holliday wore this same dress to the 2020 Grammys. And not only was she not praised for her dress, but she also got in most’ Worst Dressed’ lists regarding the event. Holliday was hurt by the attention the dress got. Especially regarding how people reacted to it when she wore it. The model tweeted:
“I’m aware some people said I looked nice in my Grammys dress and I never said I didn’t make best dressed lists as well as WORST dressed, but y’all are purposely ignoring the important part of my post: SOCIETY TREATS FAT PEOPLE LIKE WE ARE INVISIBLE.”
The music industry has the power to move people from different countries with different ethnicities and languages. It has an unimaginable influence on people of all ages. Fatphobia is not acceptable in any way: from the way weight loss journeys get more attention than the artists’ careers to the double standard plus-size people get when wearing clothes. We need to realize how damaging these standards can be to the artists and everyone.
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