Northampton born singer, VV Brown, has spoken out about her experience of racism, which she says left her feeling “deeply unsafe”. The artist is now calling on others to report their experiences anonymously in a survey by the Black Lives in Music Charity. Nova Twins, an alternative rock duo, is also supporting this move to address the “barriers faced by POC (people of colour) talent within the music industry.” Brown claims that, even in high profile settings, she felt marginalized and excluded from the industry, and has even received over a million racist comments online, leading to a strong feeling of being unsafe.
Despite rising to fame with her hit, Shark in the Water, and releasing an album, Am I British Yet? in 2023, Brown has faced difficulties in the fashion and music industries and has launched a petition to address the issue. She accuses the industry of repeatedly silencing her and of name-calling. Even expressions of her pain were muted, which she attributes to fears that she would be seen as “overly sensitive” or an “aggressor.” However, Brown feels that the anonymous survey by Black Lives in Music will give black and coloured artists a chance to report their experiences so that something can be done about the bullying and harassment they face.
BLIM chief executive, Charisse Beaumont, says that there has been a flooding of stories about bullying and harassment in the music industry. She attributes the difficulties to racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and more and urges more understanding of such challenges. Beaumont hopes that the survey data will help the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to take more informed action on the issue.
The Mercury-nominated band, Nova Twins, echoes similar concerns, detailing their own experiences of discrimination in the industry and noting the difference in response between themselves and white male counterparts. They, too, are supporting Brown’s call for people of colour to share their stories in the anonymous survey
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