{"id":128015,"date":"2025-01-21T12:12:05","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T17:12:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2025\/01\/21\/mabel-speaks-on-her-experience-in-the-music-industry-artists-voices-are-not-heard\/"},"modified":"2025-01-21T12:12:05","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T17:12:05","slug":"mabel-speaks-on-her-experience-in-the-music-industry-artists-voices-are-not-heard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2025\/01\/21\/mabel-speaks-on-her-experience-in-the-music-industry-artists-voices-are-not-heard\/","title":{"rendered":"Mabel Speaks on Her Experience in the Music Industry: Artists\u2019 \u2018Voices Are Not\u00a0Heard\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

\n\tBritish pop and R&B artist Mabel<\/a> has opened up about how standing up for herself has impacted her decade-long career.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\n

\t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Lily<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n

\t\t\t\t\tLily Allen Shuts Down Drug Rumors, Gives Mental Health Update: \u2018I\u2019m Really Not in a Good\u00a0Place\u2026\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\tIn a recent episode of the BBC\u2019s Miss Me?<\/em> Podcast \u2013 on which Mabel is currently standing in for host Lily Allen while she takes a mental health break<\/a> \u2013 the Londoner explained that after years of hard work building her artistic identity, she\u2019s had to set clear boundaries to protect herself from uncomfortable and often invasive discussions about her work.<\/p>\n

\n\tBorn Mabel McVey (though known mononymously), the pop star signed with Polydor at age 18. In the years that have followed, she has released two studio albums (2019\u2019s High Expectations<\/em> and 2022\u2019s About Last Night\u2026<\/em>) alongside a handful of mixtapes and EPs. She has earned six top 10 hits, including 2019\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Call Me Up,\u201d which peaked at No. 3, on the U.K.\u2019s Official Singles Chart<\/a> and has since surpassed 1 billion Spotify streams.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn more recent years, however, she has drip-fed a number of singles, the most recent being the Ty Dolla $ign<\/a> collab \u201cStupid Dumb\u201d in October. Later that month, she confirmed to ELLE Sweden<\/em><\/a> that she had been working in hitmaker Max Martin\u2019s studio with her brother on her third LP, though the project has been delayed a number of times.<\/p>\n

\n\tSpeaking to Miss Me?<\/em> host and broadcaster <\/a>Miquita Oliver on Jan. 16, Mabel discussed how she has been previously labeled by some as \u201cdifficult\u201d or \u201ca nightmare\u201d when holding her ground over decisions related to her musical output. \u201cThe foundation of the problem is not listening to the artist, and not giving the artist space and time to figure out who they are within their creativity. I think that\u2019s the main problem: our voices are not heard,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI used to get so many people all the time saying things like, \u2018Oh, her mum [musician Neneh Cherry] was one of a kind and she\u2019s just a \u2018whatever\u2019 popstar,\u201d Mabel continued. \u201cI\u2019m just like, \u2018Well, I\u2019ve been given no real support or time to figure [things] out \u2013 other than those small little moments of clarity like [singles] \u2018Finders Keepers\u2019 or \u2018Vitamins.’\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tOliver, who is the cousin of Mabel, asked about the importance of autonomy in the music industry, to which she responded: \u201cSadly, there\u2019s no duty of care. Particularly as a young woman, it\u2019s so easy to get molded into something \u2013 which is usually based on another female [pop act]. It\u2019s like, \u2018This person has done this, so this is what you should do.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tShe added: \u201cThe reason why I\u2019ve been making music that [people say] \u2018has been heard before\u2019 is because I have five million different people\u2019s opinions [getting in the way], constantly. So I\u2019m like, \u2018How am I meant to be making something that\u2019s groundbreaking, different and authentic when there\u2019s so many cooks in the kitchen.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMabel also explained how, going forward, when it comes to making new music, she is focusing on listening solely to the opinions of her \u201cclose protection team\u201d made up of family members, friends and her fianc\u00e9, Preye Crooks. She added that she has been through therapy and as a result, has \u201cfound [her] voice\u201d and is now \u201cstronger,\u201d both physically and mentally.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI\u2019m very grateful and blessed still. I have travelled the world doing what I love, and performing is still the best thing ever. I\u2019ve been able to work with my brother [producer Marlon Roudette], that\u2019s been really beautiful,\u201d Mabel said. She later concluded, \u201cI love what I do so much, but how long I will keep fighting for \u2026 I\u2019m not sure, which is really sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having come to mainstream prominence with her Bedroom<\/em> EP in 2017, Mabel joined Harry Styles on his debut U.K. arena tour the following year before completing her own headline run. She went on to be nominated for British Breakthrough Act at the 2019 BRIT Awards, as well as receiving nods at the MOBOs and U.K. Music Video Awards.<\/p>\n

\n\tListen the full episode below. The conversation regarding the music industry begins at the 27-minute mark.<\/p>\n

\n
\n