Ed Sheeran Vs Beyonce Essay

The western culture belief that the mind is associated with the male sphere and the body is associated with the female sphere is still present in modern day America cultivating a musical atmosphere that limits women to performance only while allowing men to prosper financially with just their music.

According to Forbes magazine, male musician Ed Sheeran was the twenty-seventh most highly paid celebrity in the world in 2015 with an earning of $57 million (Greenburg). The same article listed Beyoncé as the twenty-ninth highest paid celebrity with an estimated earning of $54.5 million (Greenburg). Comparatively, both Sheeran and Beyoncé are popular artists who have toured internationally while releasing hit after hit. In contrast, Sheeran is a white, male artist who did not achieve popularity until 2010 (“Ed Sheeran”). Beyoncé, a woman of color, has been a household name since her 1997 debut in the girl band, Destiny’s Child (“Beyoncé Knowles”).

Despite these differences, one of the greatest distinctions between the two successful artists lies in their performance technique. Sheeran’s style is notably simplistic whether he is performing at the Grammy’s, world stages, or just in his home, he puts on a show with just himself, a guitar, and a loop pedal (Harris). Sheeran does not perform elaborate choreography or wear

Almost every modern, successful female pop musician has succumbed to this sexist ideal in order to be able to play their music on the greatest stages. In 2014, P!nk put on an acrobatic, Cirque-like performance at the Grammy’s (Ng). Miley Cyrus is widely known for employing twerking and explicit gestures within her performances as a way to shock her audience. At the 2004 SuperBowl, Janet Jackson’s revealing costume and promiscuous performance with Justin Timberlake resulted in the unintentional exposing of her