It’s not Perfect for girls

FREYA RAPS FESTIVAL BOSSES OVER SNUB

FREYA Ridings is baffled by the lack of female artists topping festival bills.

The singer/songwriter struggles to believe that festivals such as Glastonbury, which has all-male headliners, cannot find female artists good enough to top the bill.

She told me: “You look at festival bills and there is a single woman up there, or there’s that token woman and I’m just like, ‘I don’t understand’ because there are so many female artists.

“I would say that some of my favourite artists are actually female performers, they are just stunning.

“Whether that’s Lizzo who’s smashing it, or

Olivia Rodrgio, or

Taylor [Swift],

Florence

[Welch], Adele – like Jesus there are so many. It is just wild to me, and all the upcoming female artists as well like

Olivia Dean,

Maisie Peters,

Self Esteem, there are so many, so many awesome female artists. I can’t stop thinking of them.”

The Castles singer, who has released gorgeous new tune Perfect, continued: “There is still a long way to go but at the same time I never want to say it’s because of one person specifically. It’s just a slow tide is changing but it is slower than anyone wanted it to be.” During her climb to the top, Freya has had to stand her ground against many male figures who wanted her to conform to the stereotypical popstar.

She said: “There was so much pressure to change my name or change my hair or change things. “I was so lucky to find an independent label who let me do things how I wanted. They let me keep my full name, write my own songs, be me – but it was such a weirdly taboo thing at the time.” Freya’s Blood Orange LP drops on April 28.