‘Why we’re proud to be fangirls’

Female music fans generate an estimated $5bn for the US economy. Yet many women still feel they are not taken seriously within music communities. A new project is looking at the cultural power of “fangirls”. It was sparked when Dani Hewitt, a senior lecturer at BIMM Music Institute Bristol, listened to an interview with Josh Francheschi.

The Fan Grrrls podcast is the brainchild of BIMM lecturer and self-proclaimed fangirl Jess Dyer. The first leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour generating so much for the US economy. Young women with their purchasing power, deciding this is what we want to spend our money on. As a female fan of rock music, Jess says it is expected you don’t have as much authority on the subject.

Dani used to work in the music industry and said her legitimacy was regularly questioned. Rain Green, who is from Bristol, said as a non-binary fan, her voice is ignored. The podcast hosts say safety is also a reason female fans have a different experience to men. Some artists are trying to bring about change.

Jess said Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes were doing an exceptional job of catering to the fact that they know that they have a lot of women in their fan base right now. She said making merchandise more diverse so it appeals to a wider audience is a nice way of making sure there’s inclusivity and interaction across their audience. She also feels language used when talking about women needs to change and those with fans need to consider how they engage with them.