Alicia Keys Calls Music Industry 'Old Boy Network'
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- Alicia Keys told The Times of London the music world is a 'good old boy network' that fails to give women an 'open door' as engineers and producers
- Keys said women make up just 2% of the music business, calling the figure 'shocking' despite her own success as a working producer
- Rather than just being 'pissed off' about the gap, Keys said she chose to 'create opportunities' for women in the industry
- Keys said her feminist-themed tracks weren't deliberately written as such but emerged from writing pep talks to herself when she 'wasn't feeling that strong'
- Keys advised up-and-coming artists to become 'owners of their own creations' and to self-advocate in the business side of music
- The 17-time Grammy winner said executives and lawyers 'love to take their percentages and overcharge' but rarely ask how to help artists stay in the game
Why it matters: Keys — a 17-time Grammy winner and active producer — putting a hard 2% figure on women's representation in music and labeling the industry an 'old boy network' gives rare A-list weight to a disparity usually discussed in the abstract. Her pivot from complaining to 'creating opportunities,' paired with explicit ownership advice, reframes the conversation from grievance to actionable steps for artists navigating deals and careers.
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