Ghoshal says the country’s music charts show a clear gender imbalance. She also recalled how legends like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle once dominated the industry, unlike the current trend.
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The music industry loves a good melody. But sometimes, the silence between the notes says more than the song itself. (Also Read: Yeh Galiyan Yeh Chaubara: Padmini Kolhapure joins Shreya Ghoshal on Indian Idol to recreate Lata Mangeshkar’s classic)
In a recent podcast chat, playback queen Shreya Ghoshal didn’t just talk about music; she spoke about something deeper. Why, she wondered, are female singers in India missing from the top charts when globally, women are ruling the stage?
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Speaking with podcaster Raj Shamani, Shreya opened up about changing face of Indian music. Her words have sparked bigger conversation about gender, charts, shifting sound of Bollywood.
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Shreya pointed out that internationally, female artists often sit comfortably at the top of the music world. Stars like Taylor Swift and Rihanna dominate charts, stadium tours, streaming platforms.
According to Shreya, their success is not accidental. She praised artists like Swift for mastering their craft and working relentlessly for years to reach that level of global dominance.
In many countries, the biggest pop voices today belong to women who not only sing but shape the entire industry around them. But Shreya says India tells a different story.
During the conversation, Shreya didn’t sugarcoat her view of the industry. She said the truth is simple: India still carries a patriarchal mindset.
She explained that the imbalance becomes obvious when you look at music charts. Instead of women leading playlists, male voices dominate them.
According to Shreya, if you scan the top songs in India today, the difference becomes clear.
She said even within the Top 50 songs, only around six or seven are sung by female singers. And she stressed that she wasn’t even talking about the Top 10, just the larger list.
To her, this gap shows how uneven the space has become.
What makes the situation surprising, Shreya said, is that it wasn’t always like this.
There was a time when female playback singers were the undisputed queens of Indian music. Names like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle didn’t just participate in the industry. They ruled it.
According to Shreya, these legendary singers commanded the era so strongly that they were often bigger than their male counterparts.
They recorded an enormous number of songs every year and became the defining sound of Indian cinema.
That kind of dominance, she believes, has faded over time.
Shreya believes the imbalance is a fairly recent development. She pointed out that the shift has become noticeable over the last decade.
According to her, the industry is currently going through a phase of experimentation and confusion. Genres are blending, musical styles are fusing, and trends are constantly changing.
Shreya described the current phase as a time where the music industry is still trying to figure out its direction.
She believes current “fusion and confusion” phase will eventually lead to clarity. As industry evolves, the balance could return and female voices might once again take a stronger place in mainstream music.
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