I promised you the female perspective, and here it is! As someone who’s been in Nashville for 13 years now — shout out to 17 year old Erin for taking the plunge! — I have a pretty solid grasp on what it’s like to be a woman in this industry. I am also keenly aware of the fact that I have a lot to learn, and will probably always have a lot to learn. Our industry is ever-changing and, if this past year has taught us anything, it is to adapt and survive. 

Let me hit you with some facts: 

• In the last 10 years, the peak percentage of women being played on country radio was 33%. It has since declined to almost half of that, reaching just 16% in 2019.
• In 2019, Mickey Guyton’s single “Better Than You Left Me” was pulled from country radio after consistently climbing, because country radio “didn’t want two female ballads on the charts at the same time.” 
• Only 12.3% of the 600 most popular songs from 2012-2018 were female performers. That’s 73 performers. Out of 600.
• In 2020, only four female artists made the Billboard Top 20 year-end lists, with Taylor Swift being #9. 

So, what’s my point? My point is that we, as women in this industry, can’t follow the traditional model of “making it,” because that deck is simply not stacked in our favor.