Can music be labelled as ‘for men’ or ‘for women’? Diverse artistes react after a music critic called a vintage rock band’s songs as something mostly men like
Representation pic
He may be a Pulitzer-Prize winner. But art critic Jerry Saltz might have put his foot in his mouth when he said that it’s “almost only men” who enjoy vintage rock band Steely Dan’s music.
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Donald Fagen (left) and Walter Becker of Steely Dan. Pic/Facebook
This stirred a hornet’s nest, with Neitzens arguing that you can’t label taste in music according to gender. Does Saltz actually have a point? Five diverse Indian musicians give us their take on the subject.
Warped thought
I personally feel that categorising music into ‘for men’ or ‘for women’ is an outdated take. I feel that this guy, Saltz, is over 50 [he is 70 years old]. People back then had more testosterone while dishing out an opinion — it’s like saying pink is a girly colour. Or, that metal music is for men and bubble-gum pop is for women. I think Saltz woke up on the wrong side of the bed when he said that Steely Dan is for men. Their music cuts across genders. But there was a need to categorise things back in the day, to put them in shelves. That is the crux of it, though it’s a biased opinion. It’s amusing to me that someone could wake up to that thought and put it out for public consumption in the age of the Internet, when we realise how much bullsh*t there is out there. It’s warped.
Arijit Datta, Bollywood composer
Everyone is equal
I am often called a ‘female rapper’, but this sort of thing exists in any field, whether you are in the police force or a doctor. A few people have this notion that certain roles are specified for certain genders. Those people are inherently sexist. They have this general notion that women listen to soft songs, something that’s specifically true to India. But that thought wouldn’t cross your mind if, to you, everyone is equal. There was once a Bollywood song I was working on. I wrote it in 15 minutes and my ex-boyfriend was in the room when I did it. But when the composer came back and heard it, he immediately asked my ex, ‘Did you help her write this? How could she come up with it in just 15 minutes?’ And I was like, ‘I am right here. What is this stupid question?’
Dee MC, hip-hop artiste
All about emotions
At the end of the day, music is going to evoke certain kinds of emotions in the listener. But there are certain genres that are easier for men to identify with. It’s like how there are particular toys geared for boys, like cars and action figures, and others that are catered towards girls. That’s not to say that there is no overlap — even boys can play with Barbies. But there are certain kinds of music that attract a certain audience. There is nothing wrong in that. It’s simply about the emotions and what you are able to identify with. If you ask 100 people about [K-pop sensations] BTS, many guys might know about it. But scratch a little deeper and you’ll find that teenage girls have more knowledge about the band.
Aditya Nair, metal musician
There is no merit
I have actually never heard of a classification like this. But I get it, because many other things are also labelled as men- or women-centric. It has a lot to do with stereotypes in society, like saying women like softer music and men like more powerful and aggressive songs. But I don’t feel there is merit in that. I feel that every individual has their own tastes. There are overlaps [between genders], so I don’t agree with this classification.
Aditi Ramesh, vocalist and pianist
A different take
As a music producer, I listen to everything that comes my way because I want to listen to and learn from the production process. I consume music differently from others. I listen to a lot of pop and don’t put thought into gender. It’s just about how the music resonates with people.
Karan Kanchan, hip-hop producer
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