In 2022, just 15% of the top 100 songwriters were women

For the third year running, Blokur’s Songwriters’ Review highlights the persistent gender disparity within the music industry. According to the 2022 report, only 15% of the top songwriters were female, and to exacerbate matters, the number of female performers in the top 100 songs dropped from 35 to 26.

What adds a bitter note to this year’s findings is that in previous years, it was encouraging to see a woman leading as the top songwriter across all platforms (i.e., Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music). However, this year, that coveted title went to the Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, who admittedly had a phenomenal year, helping to fuel the global audience’s appetite for Latin music.

Notably, newcomer Ruth B was the sole woman in the top ten on Amazon, Apple Music, and YouTube. She, along with last year’s top songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, was one of two women making the top ten on Spotify.

With such repetitive news, it’s hard not to feel like we’re stuck in a Groundhog Day situation and it seems this is leading to a sense of apathy towards the issue, especially as our focus shifts to other challenges, such as the implications of artificial intelligence in music.

Despite what appears to be an insurmountable challenge, there is a silver lining. Rising stars like Ruth B show that women, particularly newcomers, as seen with the likes of Tones and I in 2020 and Olivia Rodrigo in 2021, can thrive and rise to the very top.

For those curious about 2022’s top-performing songwriters, download your free copy of the 2022 Songwriters’ Review here.