Rapsody To Pussy Riot: 5 Ways SXSW 2018 Celebrated Women In Music

We've been focusing a lot lately on women in music. This is due not only to the fact that March is Women's History Month, but also because female music professionals play a huge role in the industry and they often don't get the credit or recognition they deserve. However, at SXSW 2018 in Austin, Texas, have no doubt: Women played a front-and center-role in the action.

From all-women music showcases to panel programming highlighting women's experiences, to a diverse music lineup and more, take a look at five ways SXSW highlighted women in the music industry this year.

1. All-Female Rappers Showcase

At Austin's The Belmont on March 15, ICM hosted its seventh annual showcase and this year they brought out an all-female hip-hop lineup, including Willow Smith, Rapsody, Kamaiyah, Kodie Shane, and others. While each of the powerhouse women on the bill delivered, GRAMMY-nominated rapper Rapsody capped her fiery set with the following mic drop statement:

"I do it for her, and for her, and for her, and for you, and the daughter you may someday have if you don’t have one already, and your wife, and your sister," Rapsody said during the showcase. "I do it so women can know anything a man can do, we can do just as well, if not 10 times better. So when they ask about Rapsody, don’t tell them I’m a female rapper. Don’t tell them I’m a female rapper, don’t tell them I’m a female emcee. When they ask you about Rapsody, you tell them I’m a motherf***ing beast."

2. Pussy Riot Came To Town

Pussy Riot, the feminist punk protest collective from Russia, lit up the town with their two SXSW showcases: the SXSW opening party at The Main on March 13 and at The Belmont on March 14. During their packed set at The Main, true to their art, Pussy Riot didn't hold back, hanging their "Pussy is the new dick" sign in front of the sponsor's sign. During their set they brought out former U.S. military member and outspoken critic of the prison system Chelsea Manning and concluded their energetic set with "Straight Outta Vagina," perhaps one of the most feminist tunes out there.

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3. Women In Music Panels

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/womeninmusic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#womeninmusic</a> is also hosting a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/musicbizmoms?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#musicbizmoms</a> panel <a href="https://twitter.com/sxsw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sxsw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sxsw2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sxsw2018</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/nbarsalona?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbarsalona</a> of Everyday Rebellion, <a href="https://twitter.com/HeatherDCook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HeatherDCook</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/peermusic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@peermusic</a>, Shalacy Griffin of <a href="https://twitter.com/MusicKnox?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MusicKnox</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/bridgetperdomo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bridgetperdomo</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/UMG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UMG</a> TODAY at 5PM in Room 9C of the Convention Center: <a href="https://t.co/OVsigo76QU">https://t.co/OVsigo76QU</a></p>— Women In Music (@womeninmusicorg) <a href="https://twitter.com/womeninmusicorg/status/973952215730843650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>

Women face many barriers to entry and advancement in their careers. To facilitate conversations on these challenges and more, SXSW hosted several panels about being a women in the industry. This included Women in Music: Break the Ceiling + Bridge The Gap, which highlighted negotiating tactics to help women advance their careers. Moms In The Music Industry: Strategies for Success covered how to balance a career in music with parenting and how to address the unique compromises women often have to make. Also, the Women In Music Meet Up provided a special networking opportunity specifically for women in the industry.

4. Showcasing Female Artists

This year's expansive music festival lineup included a diverse array of artists, including plenty of focus on female musicians, whether it's the blues/soul of Deva Mahal, the pop sounds of newcomers Pronoun, Common Holly and Mallrat, stellar guitarist Kaki King, folk/Americana singer/songwriter Lucy Dacus, electronic R&B innovator DVWEZ, and so many more. With every genre represented, it's clear that women not only have a major presence in the music world, in many cases, they're steering the ship. In addition, SXSW's focus on emerging artists gives us a peek into the future of music, and it looks certain that the future looks bright for women.

5. Addressing The #MeToo Movement In Music

Finally, a panel titled Sexual Misconduct in the Music Industry provided an open forum for women to discuss their experiences of harassment and the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements while brainstorming ways to move forward. The panelists, including Vice's Andrea Domanick, Art Not Love Records' Peggy Hogan, Danger Village's Beth Martinez, and Uproxx's Caitlin White, frankly discussed high-profile sexual misconduct cases in music, the complicated causes for continued abuses, and the impact of social media and call out culture. While the discussion yielded no single solution, and the burden of solving sexual misconduct isn't solely women's to bear, panelist expressed hope that the #MeToo movement will provide a break in the status quo.

"What had long been enshrined as rock star behavior is now clearly sexual misconduct," Domanick said. "People don't want to reckon with that because everyone will have some story. It's about accepting that we can change and evolve."

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