The current scenario of female representation in Ireland’s music industry is quite disheartening according to the latest study conducted by the activist group, Why Not Her?. The data indicated that merely 2% of the top 100 tracks played on Irish radio between the period of 1st June 2023 to 1st June 2024 were delivered by Irish female musicians. Notably, only a single one among them is alive. Jazzy and Dolores O’Riordan from The Cranberries were the exclusive pair in the top 100.
The annual data analysis furnished by the group depicts an extensive overview of gender and ethnic diversity within the top 20 most liked tracks by native Irish artists. The report shed light on severe discrepancies in terms of gender and race.
The review suggested a trend among Irish radio stations to prefer globally renowned modern female pop-artists or songs by certain artists like O’Riordan and Sinéad O’Connor, over contemporary living Irish female artists in their high-rotation playlists.
Amongst the Irish radio stations, RTÉ Pulse boasted the most varied playlist, showcasing 11 tracks by musicians of colour. Jazzy topped the charts as the most played Irish female artists with the highest tally of songs in the top 20 – her music featuring across various stations repeatedly.
During 2019-2020, only a single artist of colour – Soulé have made the top 20 list. By 2024, artist representation of colour increased to 25% at several stations, implying a ray of positivity.
Yet, the report states artists of colour continue to face substantial hurdles. Only a few stations have made significant progress towards adopting more inclusive playlists.
RTÉ Radio 1 blazes the trail for Irish radio, with half of its top 20 songs featuring women. RTÉ 2XM trails closely having 45% female representation. For five continuous years Radio 1 of RTÉ has managed 50% or higher representation of females, becoming the sole Irish radio station to achieve this.
Over a course of five years, from 2016 to 2021, the FM104 station in Dublin was exclusively favouring white male musicians in its top 20 lineup. However, it recognised this lack of diversity and has begun to rectify it since June 2021. Subsequently, from June 2023 to June 2024, 20 per cent of its top 20 tracks were by Irish female musicians, with an additional 15 per cent being collaborations that included women.
The report also highlights the difficulties faced by independent artists in receiving airtime on Irish radio, as major record labels, particularly Universal Music, see a higher rotation of their artists’ music. Merely three independent artists managed to secure a spot in the top 100.
So far in 2024, the Irish song with the most plays on Irish radio is DNA (Loving You) by Billie Gillies and Hannah Boleyn, with frequent features of other artists such as Dermot Kennedy, Moncrieff, Jazzy, and Cian Ducrot. The report brings out an interesting observation that mixed gender bands and collaborations usually have more plays and impressions, indicating a shift towards collaborations that garner wide promotion and popularity.
Linda Coogan Byrne, the founder of ‘Why Not Her?’, expressed disappointment in the collective favouring of male artists despite the exceptional talent of female artists and artists of colour, who often receive little airtime. She identified a significant difficulty for independent Irish artists in securing airplay and emphasised the responsibility of record labels to take equivalent chances on female artists as male artists.
Finally, Coogan Byrne highlights the significant role record labels play in determining who gets the airtime required to succeed. She calls for them to endorse and sign a more diverse range of artists. She points out the stark paradox: these artists are often overlooked when it comes to securing more airtime, leading to a struggle in their career success.