Real-talk: Sadly, female artists are degraded in the Hard Dance industry.

This might be uncomfortable for some of you to read, but I think that we have a problem with the gender-imbalance in this beautiful movement we call the Hardstyle ‘scene.’ Not only deemed something that resonates within the Hard Dance scene, but gender inequality is an issue that’s part of the everyday world we live in. Admit it or not, but this ongoing issue has been brewing in our beloved scene for quite a while, however it’s time for things to change and today I’m going to give you a rundown on how this equality can be accomplished.

During our recent guest article with Noiseshock, the producer spoke about the general narrow-mindedness that Argentinian people tend to have towards electronic dance music and its culture. He stated that this climate has been rough for upcoming talents and that he was close to giving up on music a few times himself. First of all, thank god he didn’t!

If we now apply this issue from a gender perspective, we can see that we are experiencing this problem right now. I think it’s safe to say that it’s probably not so appealing for a female to pursue a career within an industry that is so overpowered by both male artists and fans. If you think of the amount of females succeeding in Hardstyle or performing on mainstages, you’d come to realise that this is barely a reality. In Hardcore however, there are more female DJ’s and producers, however it’s still a minuscule amount when you compare it to all of the boys controlling the wheels of steel.

Now, for some much-needed controversy. The most obvious example of women getting treated differently in this scene, is of course, when Belgian artist Mandy was announced as the new artist on Dirty Workz’ roster.  ‘Humungous shitstorm’ was a mild term used to describe this debacle.  And for what? For being ghost produced? Let’s start off by pointing out the obvious; there are plenty of men in the Hard Dance scene who rely on a ghost producer and nobody bats an eyelid. However, once a girl admits to being ghost-produced, everyone loses their mind… No, she was not getting bashed on for being ghost produced; we’ve seen plenty of males get away with it, some who are playing on the biggest stages. The facts are cold and hard – Mandy was given a hard time because she’s female. Period!

I think one source of this issue is that we, not only in the Hardstyle scene but elsewhere as well, often judge female artists based on their looks. At last years’ edition of Qlimax, Deetox was the only female DJ to score a place on the line-up. Her set was insane and in my opinion she definitely proved that a girl can run the show as good as any guy. If you listen to the set you can hear that MC Villain says “Do not let her beauty mislead you” and “pretty lady seducing you.” These might seem like harmless words, but is there a chance that he or any other MC would say the same things about a male DJ? Probably not.

Anyway, behind every issue there is an opportunity for growth. Leading ladies such as Deetox, Malua, Mandy, Stephanie, AniMe, Lady Dana, Amada, Lady Faith, Miss K8, Korsakoff, Icha and DaY-mar are perfect examples of talented female artists in the Hard Dance scene. Why are we dissociating 50% of the population when they already have proven to possess a lot of talent and serve as a great asset in the industry? Just imagine all the tracks that can be produced and all the sets that can be played if we start encouraging women instead of hindering their capabilities.

So what can we do to make this scene more appealing for women? First of all we can stop with the bashing online and start valuing girls for their musical skills rather than for their looks. Another suggestion is for event organisers and promoters to begin including female artists within their line-ups and also offering opportunities for them to develop their skills on bigger stages. If you ask me, I think they should; not only for the sake of the female artists, but also for the sake of Hardstyle as a genre.