The glaring lack of female producers on the Hot 100 is old news at this point, but the actual extent to which they’ve been excluded from the chart has finally been put into concrete stats by Billboard this year.
To much excitement from pop heads online, Billboard announced this year that it would finally be publishing a chart ranking the top Hot 100 songwriters and producers on a weekly basis. Launched in June this year, the chart didn’t see any major surprises with hitmakers like Finneas O’Connell, Billie Eilish and Louis Bell dominating the pack. A year-end look at the Hot 100 Producers, however, reveals that not a single woman made it into the Top 24 hitmakers of 2019.
The complete exclusion of women from the Hot 100 Producers list is downright embarrassing when you consider the female domination on the charts led by Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Taylor Swift and more this year. If this chart shows us anything, it’s that female producers are only gaining cultural relevance if they can also pull double or triple duty as a singer/songwriter/performer (Grimes, Tinashe, Maggie Rogers). With a new decade upon us, Pop Crave looks at just a handful of women behind the board who we’re rooting for in 2020.
WondaGurl
Canadian producer WondaGurl got her industry breakthrough at the young age of 16 with a credit on Jay-Z‘s “Crown” from ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail.’ The beat-making prodigy has gone on to build working relationships with some of hip hop’s biggest names like Travis Scott (“Antidote” “No Bystanders”) and Lil Uzi Vert (“Feelings Mutual” “How To Talk”) in addition to earning a coveted Rihanna credit on “Bitch Better Have My Money.” While nothing has been confirmed yet, we’d love to see WondaGurl reconnect with Lil Uzi Vert on his highly-anticipated new album, ‘Eternal Atake.’
Yung Baby Tate
In addition to her debut EP, ‘Girls’ and Tik Tok-friendly collaboration, “STUPID” with Ashnikko, you might already know of Yung Baby Tate from her viral cover of Nicki Minaj‘s “Megatron.” The rising rapper/singer has proven to a be a triple force with her commitment to performing, writing and producing all of her own music. “Maintaining my creative control is so important to me,” Tate told Pop Crave this summer. “It’s like taking my own breaths.”
With support from some of the buzziest names in hip hop like Megan Thee Stallion, Kehlani and Tierra Whack, we have no doubt that 2020 will see Yung Baby Tate elevating her style both behind the microphone and the soundboard.
Rezz
Rezz has invaded the EDM circuit these past couple years with her banger-ready club anthems and savvy social media presence. After signing with electro-house main staple DeadMau5 and his label, Mau5trap, Rezz went on to release her Juno-award winning debut album ‘Mass Manipulation’ and the 2018 follow up LP, ‘Certain Kind of Magic.’ The rising producer has nearly 1 million monthly Spotify listeners and is already booked through the summer in various festivals across Germany, France, Brazil and more.
Alison Wonderland
From The Chainsmokers to Calvin Harris, Marshmello, Diplo and many more, the EDM scene has been largely dominated by men in the industry. Rising DJ/producer Alison Wonderland has managed to make a name for herself despite the male-centric climate, though, with over 1.5 million Spotify monthly listeners and a handful of streaming hits like “I Want U,” “Church” and her “New Rules” remix. While she’s certainly not a new voice among the EDM crowd, we’re still rooting for Wonderland to break onto the Top 40 scene and further dominate the festival circuit scene in the coming years.
Yaeji
Following her first EP, ‘Yaeji’ and debut Coachella performance in 2018, Brooklyn-based singer/producer Yaeji had another breakthrough moment this past year with the Charli XCX collaboration, “February 2017” alongside Clairo. Yaeji has been slowly but surely gaining a fan following with her ethereal, moody electro-pop style that’s recently been given the stamp of approval from indie-pop queen Grimes. Our favorite tracks from Yaeji include her streaming hit, “raingurl,” her cover of Drake‘s “Passionfruit” as well as “Therapy.”
HANA
As if HANA‘s debut album, ‘HANADRIEL’ wasn’t impressive enough, the singer/producer managed to create the set in its entirety over a Twitch livestream in just four weeks. The experiment was one of the most interesting concepts in the budding electro-pop scene that proved to be more than just a gimmick. By inviting fans into her world, the self-professed night elf songstress delivered a truly unique behind-the-scenes music experience that has us all the more excited for her next chapter.
yeule
Named after the ‘Final Fantasy XIII-2’ character, Yeule has made a name for herself in the electronic pop scene with her dreamy, synth-laden tracks that draw heavy inspiration from the online video game community. The London-based producer made her studio album debut this October with ‘Serotonin II,’ a 12-track collection that feels destined to take over every YouTube chill-wave channel and late night gaming playlist.
Which female producers should be on everyone’s radar? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter at @PopCrave!
