English singer/songwriter Alexandra Burke has opened up about the struggle of being a female black artist in the music industry. She has shared a video narrating her experience on her social media, saying after winning a crown from The X Factor in 2008, she was told to “bleach her skin.”
The pop star is the latest voice from the music scene that uses her voice in the wake of racial awareness around the world, following the death of George Floyd. She published a 15-minute video, recalling her past experiences with racism, including racist micro-aggressions and the demise of her very own mother.
Naming the video “Speak Up – Speak Out“, the singer wrote, “I felt it was time to speak up… This is a scary moment for me. I didn’t always want to speak up.. but it is the right thing to do. So, here’s my truth, the positive and the emotional.”
In the video, Burke described the industry as a “funny little place.” “The music industry is such a funny little place. I love singing, I love what I do, but if it wasn’t for the love that I have for music, I definitely wouldn’t be in this industry.”
She also gave out the experience after her victory from the extremely popular show The X Factor. “A few reasons are, when I first won The X Factor at 19, I got told: ‘Right, because you’re black, you are gonna have to work ten times harder than a white artist because of the colour of your skin’.”
“‘You can’t have braids, you can’t have an afro, you can’t have anything that, basically, is my identity. You have to have hair, for example, that appeals to white people, so white people can understand you better.’ I mean, I was only 19 years old. There’s only so much you can understand at 19 when your life is completely changed overnight,” Burke added.
Elsewhere in the video, the “Hallelujah” hitmaker also mentioned how she was suggested to bleach her skin so that she could look whiter. Watch the emotional video below.
Burke’s last album was 2018’s ‘The Truth Is‘, her first release under a new record deal with Universal Music Group’s Decca Records. The album spawned one single “Shadow” and was charted at number 16.
