Bebe Rexha reveals all the challenges in her career and the pressures she has to go through in the music business. The singer resorted to popular social media site X on July 2 to let off steam about mounting frustrations before he finally promised to spill the tea on secrets in the industry unless they make efforts to overhaul the current state of affairs.
Known for her powerful vocals and empowering lyrics, Rexha is an artist who never shies away from speaking her truth. But behind the glamour, she has dealt with her fair share of strife, most recently with mental health and the pressures of being flawless at all times. It is precisely these challenges that have strengthened her resolve to embrace the spotlight on inequities within the industry.
In a recent Twitter rant, the 34-year-old singer expressed her frustration, boldly declaring, “I could bring down a BIG chunk of this industry.
I AM frustrated. I Have been UNDERMINED. I’ve been so quiet for the longest time,” Rexha said. “I haven’t seen the signs even though people constantly are bringing them up, and they have been SO OBVIOUS. And when I have spoken up, I’ve been silenced and PUNISHED by this industry. Things must change, or I’m telling ALL of my truths. The good, the bad, and the ugly.”
She didn’t give specifics, and she didn’t name names, but her nods to all the stunning things she has yet to reveal have fans and industry insiders pacing, eagerly awaiting her next move.
This isn’t the first time Rexha has butted head against the music business, and, during a candid interview back in 2021, she labeled it “the most toxic industry there is.” She has also had run-ins with collaborators in the past. Her indomitable spirit to reform and shatter the rigidity places her in the limelight as a fierce proponent of artists’ rights.
Rexha’s emotional rant revealed that her anger resulted from a deeper end of sadness.
“It’s sadness. I’m sitting in my hotel room in London, crying my eyes out. I’ve felt hopeless for the longest time. I’ve been walking a lot through this city and meeting fans, and they have ignited something inside of me,” she shared. “Honestly, you all have given me the strength.”
Unreasonable contracts, the loss of free artists’ creative freedom, and exploitation have plagued the business for many years. Rexha’s ability to confront many of these problems that conscripted the business years adds a sense of immediacy to reform. The more performers that come out of the left corner to speak against these insensitivity problems that befoul the music business, the more significant the music business has to face the music.
Bebe Rexha‘s revelation has granted space in the discourse for other influential musicians who came forward against the industry. Taylor Swift, for example, has been a very vocal opponent of record labels and streaming services, hitting hard on seeking justice for fair compensation and gratitude for her master recording owners. While Kanye West has been demanding more diversity and for artists to have control over their art, Ariana Grande has been highlighting the pressures on the artist and how fame takes a toll on the mental health of an artist. Zayn Malik blamed an industry-driven towards the image and not one that allowed creative freedom after he parted ways with the popular boyband One Direction.
Still, Rexha continues to zero in on her music despite the tumult the music industry faces. She just dropped June 27 her single “I’m the Drama,” the second single to May 17’s “Chase It (Mmm Da Da Da),” a career marker of newness.
Her most recent performances, of course, smash everything that went before it, insists Rexha.
“I’ve gone through so much in the past X amount of years that people don’t know about, and I feel like I finally have come to peace with many things. I finally feel excited and alive,” she said. ” It’s so awesome seeing everybody so excited, but I’m like, ‘You have NO CLUE.’ It’s like, I’m so excited.”
Moving forward, Rexha said she is going to stick by her art and her fans in continuing to bring powerful lyrics and authentic music to them. With this statement, she hopes to change the industry by being true both to the creative process and the fan base that’s so loyally supported her.
Bebe has a lot of courage. I hope her view is accepted by the music industry and helps many more artists.