Beth Jeans Houghton: Brilliant Musician, Shame About the Album Cover

I discovered Beth Jeans Houghton a couple of months ago when trying to find music by women that wasn't misogynistic twaddle for an International Women's Day playlist for my teenager. I love Houghton's music but every time her CD cover shows up on the front of my iPod I cringe. It's a naked woman, which I assume is Houghton but I don't actually know for sure, with a lion's head. Now, it's a pretty powerful image but mostly because she seems to be missing a vulva. So, on top of the normal issues of objectification and the pornographication of the female body, they now don't have vulvas. Because, obviously, naked breasts aren't a problem, nor is a woman's body with no hair but a vulva is just wrong. Or, something. 

I find the increasing sexualisation and pornographication of young female artists depressing. We are all familiar with the Rolling Stones cover of Britney Spears making her change from "teen star" to music/porn star but this isn't just confined to women performing within the "pop" industry. Gwen Stefani and Beyonce both wrote brilliant songs about being women, sexism and power relations whilst performing in groups but the music they have released as solo artists has just reinforced the same old misogynistic twaddle. It is at the point where a female artist can only be taken seriously if they are half-naked and gyrating on a pole. Just look at Shakira's early music in Spanish and her transition to an English-language artist. It's soul-destroying. Or, Katy Perry whose music is marketed at young teenagers but is only about servicing male sexual desires.

Houghton writes great music and her lyrics are brilliant and sublime. The use of her body as a sale tactic is just another facet of the misogyny inherent in the music industry. Now, I'm fairly sure Houghton was involved in developing the image used. I doubt very much the image was something required by her record company since Houghton doesn't strike me as the kind of artist who would do as she was told in order to play her music. It's just a shame that her body is the object discussed rather than her music which is brilliant [and everyone should buy it].

Plus, she should go on a proper tour so I can see her play live.