Unpacking Intersectionality in the Music Industry: Who Gets to Sing What Tune?

The music industry has always had a way of reflecting society’s best and worst traits. It’s a world where talent, identity, and image collide to make or break careers, creating a cultural landscape as vibrant as it is complex. But in the midst of all the glittering award shows, sold-out tours, and chart-topping hits, there’s a hidden framework shaping who gets heard—and who doesn’t. That framework? Intersectionality.

Originally coined by scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality explains how different aspects of a person’s identity—like race, gender, class, and sexuality—intersect to shape their experiences, especially with discrimination. In an industry as diverse and layered as music, understanding intersectionality isn’t just helpful; it’s essential for seeing the big picture. So, let’s unpack how intersectionality affects the music industry, from genre expectations to record deals and everything in between.

Genre and Identity: Who Gets to “Own” the Music?

Imagine this: it’s the ‘50s, and rock ‘n’ roll is exploding. While artists like Chuck Berry and Little Richard were some of rock’s first real architects, it wasn’t until Elvis Presley—a white man—rose to fame that rock really became “acceptable” to mainstream America. The patterns here are no accident; they’re part of an ongoing history in which race, gender, and identity define how artists are marketed, celebrated, and often co-opted.

This is where intersectionality comes in. Today’s artists still grapple with these same layered biases, though they may look a bit different. Hip-hop, for instance, is still a predominantly male space, while pop is often marketed as more “female-friendly.” When women do make it in male-dominated spaces, they face scrutiny in ways their male counterparts rarely do. Cardi B and Nicki Minaj have paved their own paths in hip-hop but have had to battle stereotypes and criticisms about their “authenticity,” sexuality, and image far more intensely than their male peers.

Intersectionality helps us see how gender and race combine to affect these women differently from a male artist of color, like Kendrick Lamar, or a white woman in pop, like Taylor Swift. It highlights the unique challenges that come with occupying multiple identities in an industry that’s constantly categorizing and often pigeonholing talent.

Cultural Appropriation and Genre “Tourism”

Intersectionality also helps us understand the issue of cultural appropriation in music. For instance, while hip-hop was born out of the struggles and stories of Black and Latinx communities in the Bronx, many mainstream listeners were introduced to it through white artists like Eminem, Vanilla Ice, and, more recently, Post Malone. While these artists contribute to the genre, they do so from a position that allows them to “dip in” and “dip out,” benefiting from the genre’s appeal without facing the same societal barriers that artists of color encounter.

Think about pop stars who experiment with reggaeton or Afrobeats. These genres are rooted in the cultures of Latin America and Africa, yet they’re often repackaged for global consumption by artists who may not share these backgrounds. When stars like Drake or Justin Bieber incorporate these sounds, it can feel like “genre tourism,” where they can capitalize on cultural trends without being tied to the cultural weight and struggles that come with them.

Intersectionality reminds us that a genre isn’t just a “sound” to pick up or put down; it’s tied to histories, communities, and identities that deserve respect and recognition. For Black and Latinx artists in hip-hop or reggaeton, for example, success comes with ongoing challenges rooted in societal prejudices, while white artists in these genres often don’t face the same hurdles.

LGBTQ+ Artists: Breaking Free from Industry Norms

If you’re an LGBTQ+ artist, especially in hip-hop or country music, you’re familiar with the industry’s unspoken rules about “marketability.” While things have improved, for many years, LGBTQ+ artists had to hide their identities or risk career limitations. Labels have often pressured queer artists to “stay relatable,” essentially meaning “stay heteronormative.”

Take Lil Nas X. He burst onto the scene with Old Town Road and became one of the first openly gay Black men in mainstream hip-hop. But with that openness came scrutiny not just about his music but about his entire persona. His success highlights an important intersection: he’s a Black, gay artist in a traditionally heteronormative, hyper-masculine genre. For every proud moment, he’s had to navigate backlash that a straight artist likely wouldn’t face.

Then there’s Janelle Monáe, who has boldly claimed her space as a nonbinary, pansexual artist in the R&B and pop scenes. Her music celebrates her identity, creating space for more representation, but she’s also up against an industry that still views her existence as outside the “norm.” Intersectionality gives us a framework to see how Monáe’s experience is shaped not just by being queer, but by being a queer Black woman in a genre that expects conformity to certain images.

Socioeconomic Status: The Invisible Barrier

While we often think of identity in terms of race, gender, and sexuality, class is also a massive factor shaping access to success in music. Let’s face it: the music industry is expensive. Between recording costs, marketing, networking, and legal representation, getting a foot in the door is a financial investment not everyone can make.

Artists from working-class backgrounds often face an uphill battle to produce high-quality demos, gain exposure, and, in some cases, meet the right people who can open doors. While artists like Cardi B and Jay-Z have inspiring rags-to-riches stories, they are exceptions in an industry where money often determines who gets a shot.

Intersectionality teaches us that a struggling artist from a lower socioeconomic background isn’t just up against financial challenges; their experience is compounded by other factors. For example, a young Black woman from a low-income neighborhood may face more barriers than a white male artist from the same background, thanks to the additional layers of race and gender bias.

Media, Marketing, and Intersectionality

The music industry doesn’t just produce songs; it shapes public perception. Through media coverage and marketing strategies, labels and press outlets help create narratives about who artists are, what they represent, and, in some cases, who they “should” be. And let’s be honest—the media loves a “feud” between women, especially women of color.

Consider the coverage around Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. Rather than celebrating the achievements of two successful women in hip-hop, the media often amplifies any hint of rivalry. This dynamic isn’t just about competition; it plays into stereotypes about Black and Latina women, reducing their identities to caricatures and reinforcing tired tropes. Intersectionality sheds light on how this coverage isn’t just “good TV” but a reflection of the societal forces that shape who gets uplifted and who gets undermined.

Meanwhile, marketing teams often push artists to emphasize or downplay certain aspects of their identity. In pop, LGBTQ+ artists might be encouraged to “keep it subtle” for mainstream appeal, while in hip-hop, there’s often pressure to fit a hyper-masculine or hyper-feminine image. These strategies reveal an industry still trying to mold artists to fit conventional ideas of what’s “marketable” or “safe” for audiences, rather than embracing the full spectrum of identities that make up the real world.

So, What’s Next?

Intersectionality shows us that success in music isn’t just about talent. It’s about navigating a complex web of biases, societal expectations, and often contradictory norms. As fans and consumers, we play a role in encouraging a more inclusive industry, one that allows artists to bring their full selves to the stage, the studio, and the spotlight.

The good news? We’re seeing more artists break these molds, defy expectations, and create music that represents the diversity of human experience. Artists like Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Janelle Monáe, and Bad Bunny aren’t just succeeding; they’re thriving by challenging the industry’s norms, each bringing a unique mix of identities that resonate with audiences worldwide. The more we understand intersectionality, the better equipped we are to support this new wave of artists who defy easy categorization.

Ultimately, music is at its best when it reflects the full complexity of the human experience. And just as our favorite songs layer rhythm, melody, and harmony, our favorite artists bring the beautiful complexity of intersectionality into their work, creating something richer, bolder, and truer than any single note could convey.

So, next time you press play, take a moment to appreciate the layers behind the sound. In an industry that often tries to put people in boxes, intersectionality is a reminder that great art—and great artists—don’t fit in any box. They’re as complex and multifaceted as the world they reflect, and that’s exactly what makes music so powerful.