Scottish singer and frontwoman of 90s rock band Garbage, Shirley Manson, has made her thoughts known on her unfair treatment in the music industry as well as in her personal life as a 58 year old woman. Manson discusses these struggles throughout her music career in an interview with the Guardian. With the singer’s difficulties performing since breaking her hip on the tour of their 2016 album ‘Strange little birds’, she was forced to work on their latest album remotely. Here, she explores her thoughts on her place in the music industry “at this late stage in my career”, going on to say that this time of thinking was ‘dark and depressing and soul-crushing, and also kind of wonderful.’.
Since their formation in 1993, the band rose to popularity after their debut self-titled album ‘Garbage’, which sold over 4 million copies worldwide. They have an impressive chart profile, with their hit song ‘Stupid girl’ which reached great heights, peaking at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. Being in the public eye in the 90s, Manson has opened up about how she was perceived in the media at the time, stating that coverage was often “really degrading or sexual in nature, or just nasty shit”.
The singer is still seemingly receiving this treatment in the media. The band have posted several promo pictures in the run-up to the album’s release, which has caught media attention. In a scathing article from The Daily Mail, Manson was described as “unrecognisable” in album promo. The singer clapped back unflinchingly in an Instagram post, screenshotting the headline and bringing glory to the beauty and natural process of aging. She proclaims “I will continue to age as I am. I will continue to wrinkle and flub”, ending the caption with the promise “I will always – and forever – rock HARDER than most”.
Manson’s response is not unexpected, being vocal about the image of older women in the music industry. Fans continue to share her past words of wisdom in interviews, praising her ability to speak out and inspire.
The band are set to release their new album ‘Let All That We Imagine Be The Light’ on 30 May. Approaching this release date, the band have shared the album’s opening track ‘There’s No Future in Optimism’, inspired by George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a white policeman in 2020. The singer states in an interview with NME that the album as a whole is “about what it means to be alive, and about what it means to face your imminent destruction,”.
Garbage’s new album will surely be accepted with open arms, and Manson’s vulnerability and empowerment will make for an exciting release.
