If anyone can talk about having juvenile attitudes in the music industry, it's Charlotte Church. Although Church, the classically trained Welsh pop sensation, was referring to immaturity in the music industry, she's had plenty of experience as both a child and an adult in the music business. She released her first album when she was 12 years old, becoming an international sensation. The theme of her talk at the third annual John Peel Lecture regarded the juvenile approach to sexuality in the industry.
Church said, in her lecture as part of the Radio Festival 2013, that music is dominated by males and that reflects in the fantasized approach to sexuality featured in much of the world's most popular music.
"It is a male-dominated industry, with a juvenile perspective on gender and sexuality," she said. "To my mind what this industry seems to want of it's women increasingly is sex objects that appear childlike."
Church was likely referring to artists such as 20 y.o. Miley Cyrus among others. Accordingly, she attacked artists including Robin Thicke, who provocatively performed with Cyrus during the VMAs, as "mediocre" and "indefensible."
She didn't let female performers off the hook for buying in, singling out Britney Spears and Rihanna in particular. Some might accuse Church of blaming the victim, but the vocalist made sure to applaud performers including Janelle Monáe, Haim and Grimes. Church argued that if the attitude were to change, the overall quality of music could improve drastically.
"If the power was taken away from sex in pop by making it harder for younger viewers to access it, then maybe the focus would shift to making works of artistic beauty and conscience."
