Prince’s drummer brands female pop stars ‘vulgar and trashy’.
Hannah Ford, Prince’s female drummer has slammed pop stars as “vulgar” – backing a previous comment that female singers degrade themselves by treating their bodies like “a piece of meat”. Hannah ‘Ford’ Welton is the drummer in all-girl band 3RDEYEGIRL, formed byPrince who steered their new album PlectrumElectrum. The drummer, who goes by the name Hannah Ford, said modern pop stars are compensating for poor music by exposing more of their bodies. “There’s a line between classy and sexy and then trashy and out-there” … “At the moment in the industry there’s so much vulgarity coming from men and women,” Ford said.
“Talking about things that little girls or little boys shouldn’t necessarily be singing about when they’re sitting on the school bus. Women aren’t dressing so ladylike. I’m all for women being beautiful and bold and powerful and sexy. But at the same time there’s a line between classy and sexy and then trashy and out-there.” Ford told The Guardian: “If women are getting sick and tired of men talking about them in their music like they’re a piece of meat, they can’t then walk around treating their body like it’s a piece of meat.”
“I hear a lot of women complain about guys being disrespectful and talking about them in a certain way. But then those same women will walk outside wearing basically nothing and talk about other women in the same way they don’t want to be talked about. That’s hypocritical to me. I’m all for self expression and freedom of speech, but at the same time, I’m all about living a lifestyle that is admirable. You walk the walk and talk the talk.”
While Miley Cyrus’ near-nude performances, and recent rear-obsessed videos by Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Azalea have created headlines, Ford does not want to name names. “It is what it is. You don’t want to bash fellow artists. But at the same time you wouldn’t catch me walking out on a stage and spending my five minutes of performance time doing that. “I’m all about encouraging people and motivating people and uplifting them in a positive light. Spreading joy and peace and happiness. I hear music that doesn’t necessarily do that, and I see artists that carry themselves in a way I wouldn’t like my future children to look up to.”
The religious drummer said she and Prince share similar views on the topic; Prince’s religious views have seen him cull sexually explicit songs and swear words in his old material from his latest live shows. “Prince is a very spiritual man. We have conversations all the time about God and the deeper meaning to what we do, about making an impact on the world. Bringing light into peoples’ lives. This world is so dark, if I can be blunt. It’s up to the people that are inhabiting the world right now to bring the light. That’s our goal.”
Prince found Ford’s videos on You Tube and contacted her to join his new band. PlectrumElectrum entered the ARIA Albums Chart at No. 33 this week, with Prince’s album Art Official Age at No. 15 — both were released on the same day.