Bonnie Tyler Joins #WeAreHere on TikTok to Support Women in Music
Bonnie Tyler: “The younger generations are showing that women can be powerful”
Stronger Than a Man: 8 March marks International Women’s Day, celebrating the achievements of women and raising awareness about gender inequality.
Thousands of female artists are posting on TikTok using the #WeAreHere hashtag to showcase the talents of women in music. Bonnie Tyler has released two videos talking about female representation and the women who inspired her to seek a singing career.
The campaign is subtitled with the following message:
Where are all the women? 22% of chart music artists are women. 2% of music producers are female, and only 0.5% of producers are women of colour. 2% of classical works performed at concerts were written by women, and 1 in 103 orchestra trumpet players are women. This International Women’s Day, we are calling out the lack of attention, visibility, acknowledgements and freedom the world gives women. So you next time you ask ‘Where are the women in music?’, #wearehere. We are on TikTok. Join us this International Women’s Day and every day and share your talent.
In her first video, Bonnie talks about female representation at live music events. “I was given a song for my latest album from Desmond Child, and it’s called ‘Stronger Than a Man’. There’s a line in that song that really stood out to me. It says ‘A woman’s place is anywhere a woman wants to stand’. It took me back to some times in my earlier career when I’d be the only girl on the whole festival bill. It’s getting more diverse now, I have to say, but there’s a lot more that could be done. Support the message – women, we are here.”
In her second video, she talks about the female artists who inspired her to become a singer. “I’ll never forget how amazed I was to see Tina Turner make a solo career for herself in the 80s, after leaving Ike. She has such an incredible stage presence, and she owns everything she sings.” Bonnie adds: “Janis Joplin taught me about what it means to sing with soul. She could draw out so much emotion, just from a single word. I used to love singing along with them both in my bedroom when I was growing up.”
Bonnie then names some of the younger female artists who she admires. “It’s great to see that the qualities are in younger artists too – people like Adele, Emeli Sandé, Miley Cyrus. The younger generations are showing that women can be powerful.”