Celebrity

Australian Musician Bella Hunter Is Breaking Down The Boundaries – And We Need To Listen

Talent and female ambition are one killer combo

The electronic music scene brings with it many familiar faces. David Guetta, Tiësto, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Diplo, Swedish House Mafia – just to name a few. But with those names, comes one glaringly obvious disparity. The music genre has long been dominated by the likes of men, which is why homegrown talent Bella Hunter is taking things into her own hands, proving her female ambition and pure talent can rival that of any major male artist. 

Hunter was born in Sydney but grew up between LA and New York – as her father, late legendary rock musician Marc Hunter, would travel with his band Dragon. “My dad was a musician and my mum was a fashion designer – so I ended up travelling nonstop as an adult, too,” Bella says.

While speaking about her father’s influence on her music today, her mother’s fashion influence is more than noticeable – with Bella decked out in an outfit that looks like a unique mix of Byron Bay, LA and New York all rolled into one. “You never think you’re going to follow in your parents’ footsteps, but somehow I’m doing music and fashion.” 

Travelling wasn’t always easy though, but it gave Bella the carefree attitude and resilience that is so prominent when meeting for the first time – perhaps a reason too as to why she has made it so far in an industry that can be so harsh. “It gave me a nice ability to bounce into situations and survive. Resilience and social skills, however lame that sounds.” 

While Bella admits she’s inspired by her late father’s iconic music – as well as her classically trained background – she was determined to make her own stamp on the music scene. “I’m super proud to have that recognition association in Australia, but there was a stage when that sort of preconceived notion of who I was or what I sounded like before I even walked in the door, even though it was lovely and flattering, became slightly exasperating, and maybe subconsciously that’s a part of why I went away.” 

For now, Bella has been busy creating her niche in the male-dominated world of house music – most recently working across multiple creative projects over the past few years. This included writing and collaborating with various international artists, including Erick Morillo, Chris Malinchak, Henry Krinkle, Sweater Beats, Linda Perry, and Afrojack – just to scrape the surface. 

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Her most recent single, Deja Vu was written and co-produced in New York, which later led to her signing with world-renowned Armada Music. The label was drawn to her charisma, song-writing talents and authentic female take on electronic music after the viral success of her track Waves. Bella is the first female artist Armada has signed in the US, she is also the second-ever female artist to sign with the powerhouse label. Read: Major

On the new hit, Bella says: “Deja Vu is a play on words. It’s not necessarily about reminiscing the same thing, but it’s about having that feeling of this has happened before, over and over again. It’s playful and it’s flirtatious and it’s, kind of a bit silly. Kind of like me.” 

While Bella has been busy making waves, she knows that the industry she loves has a long way to go. “I really want more women in the electronic music world, they’re just not there. I’m over it, to be honest. I’m totally over it.

“It’s such a boys club and I think it’s time it needs to be broken.” 

“It’s like engineering, computer science, all those, it’s very much a male-dominated industry,” Bella adds. “I think it’s just the way it’s always been. Sometimes you need someone to come along and challenge the status quo.

“And it’s also, not to discredit the amazing female artists because there’s a lot of them, but they’re very much trying to be a part of the boys club. There are no girls doing it with a female vibe – with femininity, with glamour. That just doesn’t exist.” 

Glamour and feminity are at no shortage in Bella’s recent work – seeing her wake up in a vintage black Mustang in a tulle Giambattista Valli x  H&M gown with blue feathered heels. 

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But, female representation in music – in particular, electronic music, isn’t just some side thought for Bella. She says, “18 percent of all electronic artists are female and only 6 percent of electronic music is produced by females. Like, where are they?” 

In electronic music, the representation of women is even more disparaging than any other genre. Just take a look at Billboard’s Hot Dance and Electronic songs. Even when a woman does make the list, she is typically a featured singer, not a producer or DJ. Gender representation in festival lineups and popular streaming playlists platforms make the issue blatantly clear. If women are in electronic music, they’re invisible. Oddly enough though, over 50 percent of the consumers of electronic music are women. 

While there’s still a long way to go for the industry, Bella is clearly working to change that. 

The electronic music scene brings with it many familiar faces. David Guetta, Tiësto, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Diplo, Swedish House Mafia – just to name a few. But with those names, comes one glaringly obvious disparity. The music genre has long been dominated by the likes of men, which is why homegrown talent Bella Hunter is taking things into her own hands, proving her female ambition and pure talent can rival that of any major male artist. 

The electronic music scene brings with it many familiar faces. David Guetta, Tiësto, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Diplo, Swedish House Mafia – just to name a few. But with those names, comes one glaringly obvious disparity. The music genre has long been dominated by the likes of men, which is why homegrown talent Bella Hunter is taking things into her own hands, proving her female ambition and pure talent can rival that of any major male artist. 

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