Our generation on Feminism| Seen and Never Heard REMIX [@ETTABOND] [@NADIAROSEMUSIC] [@ASHNIKKO] | [@LASHAWNAROSE]

Our generation and Feminism.

Am I the only person who believes that more females within our music industry have an exceeding amount to say in reference to our equality recently? Isn’t it beautiful?!

I personally would not count myself as someone who is a ‘Feminist’ per say however I truly believe in the equal rights and opportunities of the sexes. For generations the music industry has been dominated by men with only a few women who speak loudly about being a feminist, and honestly the few that do, tend to gain a huge amount of backlash for it. However I think that audiences are becoming more open to the subject and really do want to hear women standing up for themselves.

Etta Bond’s ‘Seen and Never Heard’ music video was the seed that planted this article. As a BA Media Communications student I have been taught to over analyse everything. The special element of Etta’s video is seeing women of all different shapes and sizes flaunt their bodies whilst being surrounded by a gritty, graffitied and fragmented atmosphere. The understanding that I gain from this music video is that Etta Bond is breaking the bonds of Fetishism.

—Fetishism: is a paraphilia that focuses on the obsession of an object, and the sexual arousal that seeing or interacting with that object may bring—.

When this music video was first released, I wrote a review and referenced media theorist Laura Mulvey and her Male Gaze theory. Etta Bond is refusing to be seen and treated as a piece of decoration, just a ‘thing’ to look at, instead she says ….

“Would it be easier if i was seen and never heard, caged up like a little bird, sat looking pretty, never said a word, If I was seen and never heard, If I couldn’t live without a man, never spoke up when I gave a damn, sat looking pretty never said a word, if i was seen and never heard”

Almost a week ago the remix dropped for ‘Seen and Never Heard’ which features Nadia Rose and Ashnikko, and its serious fire. Nadia Rose goes straight in with her hardcore wordplay whilst radically addressing and questioning her male on the content of their relationship.

“Would it be easier if i was seen and never heard? Only use my mouth to suck dictionaries and not utilise the words, is that what you’d prefer?”

In verse two Ashnikko talks on her independent strength that he has tried to suffocate and breaks down his rules whilst making him to understand that his way is not going to work out.

“You said you like me strong, independent with ambition, you handed me the gun, but won’t give me ammunition, won’t trust a little girl with her own fights, right?”

Women coming together musically to talk about their own personal strength, what they will and will not put up with, is empowering and almost rare to see within the UK music industry. I truly believe that the more women stick together the greater the outcome becomes.

It’s our time.

Seen and Never Heard

‘Our generation and Feminism’, is now a monthly feature here on Mixtape Madness, if you think that you have something to say on the topic let us know!