Alicia Keys Calls the Music Industry a ‘Good Old Boy Network’, Says Women Are ‘Not Given an Open Door’

Alicia Keys recently told The Times of London that the music industry can feel like a boys’ club, and that it is difficult for women, particularly if they are working as producers or studio engineers, to break in.

“The music world becomes a good old boy network and all the incredible women working as engineers and producers are not given an open door,” Keys says. “Women make up 2 per cent of the entire business. I’m a producer and here we are, doing a bunch of work, killing it, so it’s shocking that the number is so small. Rather than just being pissed off about that, it was time to create opportunities.”

While acknowledging some of her tracks contain feminist messages, Keys said they weren’t overtly intentional, and instead naturally arose from her own pursuit of empowerment.

“I didn’t aim to come up with feminist message songs, and most of them were written because I wasn’t feeling that strong so I had to give myself a pep talk to keep going, but it is a thread through my work,” she said.

Earlier in the interview, when asked to share advice for up-and-coming artists, Keys said she would tell them “to think about how to become the owners of their own creations.” The 17-time Grammy winner added that becoming your own advocate is key to thriving on the business side of the music industry, which is particularly difficult to navigate.

“No one tells you these things,” she said. “You deal with all these executives and lawyers who love to take their percentages and overcharge you, but they never say, ‘How can we ensure you’re here to stay?’”