5 successful Ghanaian female musicians who overcame the unwarranted backlash

Most female musicians – both dead and alive – have been subjected to all sort of ridicule, whether their physique or vocal skills.

It’s either they don’t have good vocals or bad body structure, the industry is full of hatred towards the female stars.

From Mzbel to late Ebony Reigns, here are top five Ghanaian female stars who overcame unwarranted backlash.

Mzbel

The “Awoso Me” hitmaker has suffered the most among the female music stars. Her breakthrough song “16 Years” attracted so much hate that she was sidelined by some industry people. She was hated for her appearance – many suggested she dresses decently. Even in 2005, when she was sexually harassed by some KNUST students, some Ghanaians jubilated over it. But despite this, she has been able to keep afloat and making so much from her career.

Ebony Reigns

Before her passing in February 2018, she was considered the most hated Ghanaian celebrity. Her sin? Dressing the way it fits her brand. She was insulted by many, harassed online by cyberbullies and told to stop music to pursue prostitution. A popular Ghanaian investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure, attacked her on several occasions for her ‘provocative’ dressing. But this didn’t stop her from becoming the first Ghanaian female musician to ever win the “Artiste of the Year” at the 2018 VGMA.

Wendy Shay

Shortly after Ebony’s death, Wendy joined RuffTown Records – the label which catered for Ebony. And after dropping her first hit song “Uber Driver”, angry Ebony fans tagged her as a ‘copycat’. She suffered in the hands of Internet trolls. She was tagged ‘untalented’, ‘dumb’ for wrongly answering interview questions, called ‘ugly’ and severely trolled for wearing the same wig. But guess what? She won one out of three nominations at this year’s VGMA and won some international awards as well.

Wiyaala

Despite being one of the most talented female songstresses in Ghana, she still gets treated like a nobody by internet trolls. Even though she has never been involved in any scandal in her career, some Ghanaians find issues with her physique. But she shut them down in her recent interview with Delay, calling them ‘immature’ – which is true. And despite this, she is still on the rise. She has performed at over 15 international festivals so far in 2019 – making her the busiest Ghanaian artiste at the moment.

Eno Barony

She is one of the best female rappers in Ghana. But some critics and cyberbullies take her for granted. She has been tagged as ‘ugly’ and ‘fat’. People are still calling her to reduce her weight. However, none of these heckling has been a hurdle in her career. She is still soaring high in the rap fraternity.