FEATURE:
I Had a Dream She Took My Hand
IN THIS PHOTO: Jameela Jamil/PHOTO CREDIT: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images for The New York Times
Jameela Jamil, Producer
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I am a big fan of Jameela Jamil…
IN THIS PHOTO: James Blake/PHOTO CREDIT: Harrison & Adair
and have been for many years now. I think that my first experience of her was her presenting music shows back in the day. Jamil became the first woman to present The Official Chart show on BBC Radio 1. As the actor, podcaster, activist and broadcaster turns forty on 25th February, she will enter a new decade where one thing about her career is not discussed or given importance. Before that, it is worth mentioning all the great things she does. I have written about her before, though there is a lot to bring in since then. I would urge people to check out Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil, which is the successor to the I Weigh podcast. She is a terrific actor, though I feel she is worthy of more than she has been offered. I can see her fronting a long-running U.S. sitcom (She was in The Good Place, but more as a supporting role) or even helming a major film. She has appeared both on film and T.V. A phenomenal comedic actor but someone who can also perform these dramatic roles, you do feel like there are so many projects where she could be at the centre of. I also wonder whether we will see any new documentaries or music-based projects. As this incredible activist and feminist, there is so much to tackle today in terms of how women’s rights are evaporated and they are exposed to even more misogyny, abuse and harm through politics, the streets, online and the wider world. She attended the Hay Festival last year, and I know that there will be a lot from her this year. Not to force projects on her or trying to manifest things, though I feel Jamil is overdue huge roles and some incredible projects! Maybe she will direct, or there will be documentaries from her. Or maybe she doesn’t need my suggestions and she will do her own thing! It all comes from a place of huge respect and admiration.
However, one of the (many) things that is seldom mentioned when we think of Jameela Jamil is her role as a producer. I think we live at a time when female producers are not as respected as they should be. Massive inequality and lack of visibility in professional studios. Whilst many female artists produce their own works, statistic around the industry and how women are held back is shocking. Think about the recent GRAMMY nominations, and there is still inequality there. It is the same with film and how few women are nominated in technical categories and how few female directors are included at the Academy Awards, BAFTAs and other events:
“Although last year’s study documented a significant change for women, the latest study finds little forward progress made by the music industry in 2024. Women comprised 37.7% of artists across the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Chart last year, which is only slightly higher than in 2023 (35%) — though it represents a significant improvement from 2012 (22.7%). There were no duos or bands with women in 2024. Additionally, more than a third (38.9%) of individual artists were women, compared to 40.6% in 2023 and 35.8% in 2012.
“Women artists in 2024 saw little change,” Smith said. “In fact, it is the number of men that has declined while the number of women in 2024 was consistent with prior years. This suggests that it is fluctuations in the number of men, not gains for women, that is driving these findings. For those interested in seeing change in the music industry, this is not a sign of progress.”
Behind the scenes, there was also little movement for women. The percentage of women songwriters in 2024 was 18.9%, similar to the percentage in 2023 (19.5%) and significantly higher than the 11% in 2012. Just over half (54%) of songs in 2024 featured at least one woman songwriter, on par with 2023 and significantly higher than 2012. Additionally, women of color were largely responsible for the gains seen in 2023, but not in 2024: Last year, the number of women of color working as songwriters dipped while white women increased.
“The music industry is a mirror to the film industry — there is a lot of fanfare about supporting women, but little actual change among the most popular songs,” Smith said. “While there may be movement in the independent space, the songs and charts evaluated represent the agenda-setting music that has the greatest opportunity to launch and grow a career. Until the people in the executive ranks and A&R roles take seriously the lack of women in the industry, we will continue to see little change.”
The amount of women popular music producers also saw no significant increase in 2024. A total of 5.9% of producing credits were held by women, compared to 6.5% in 2023 and 2.4% in 2012. Of the 14 women producers in 2024, only two were women of color. Across all 13 years, 93.3% of songs were made without women producers”.
This does take me to James Blake. Rather than, as a lot of articles do, refer to her as Blake’s ‘girlfriend’ – which is technically true -, I think she is often seen as a muse or inspiration, rather than an integral part of his career and music. It is the same for so many other women. Not only in terms of how they affect the songwriting. I mean the production side. It is not a case of Jameela Jamil suggesting things and lobbing in the odd note here and there. She is a fully-fledged and exceptional producer. I do wonder whether she will produced for other artists, though she had a big role to play in James Blake’s forthcoming album, Trying Times. That is out on 13th March. You can pre-order it here. There is still this misogyny around women who are part of a musical couple. Those who are in relationships with artists. The assumption they can be little more than lyrical inspiration or the ghastly ‘muse’ word! I have heard interviews recently where James Blake discussed the album – one on BBC Radio 6 Music was especially interesting - and he talked about Jameela Jamil and how she helped shape the album. As a producer, listening to these songs and being very honest. That they could be x% better or bolder. Technical notes and really improving everything. In terms of the release date, sound and feel of the album, all the credit will be given to James Blake. He wrote the songs and sings them, yet I feel like a producer such as Jamil will not be given credit – or even talked about! I am aware I am one of the only journalists in the world who will write about her brilliance as a producer. This is not the first album where Jameela Jamil has acted as a producer. For 2021’s Friends That Break Your Heart, as this article explains, there was a lot of condescension and misogyny around those credits:
“Actress, activist, and former DJ Jameela Jamil has responded to sexist and misogynistic comments on Twitter stating James Blake only credited her “to be nice” on his latest album, Friends That Break Your Heart. Jamil is credited on 12 of the tracks.
“A lot of mostly women insisting I couldn’t possibly have actually worked on my boyfriend’s music, and that he must have just credited me to be nice,” Jamil tweeted on October 8th. “I was a DJ for 8 years, and studied music for 6 years before that. You are part of the problem of why women don’t pursue producing.”
Jamil has been dating Blake since 2015. She said the renowned artist had to fight her to take credit on his 5th studio album, which has been critically acclaimed. “I was so preemptively sick of the internet,” she said.
But this isn’t the first time The Good Place star has been the victim of sexism and misogyny.
The music industry is flooded with these seemingly endless comments and ideologies, pushing women to not get into music production or take credit for the exprbitant amounts of time and energy they put into a project. We are, however, beginning to see changes, but not fast enough.
“I hope you’re taking credit for your work wherever you are in the world right now,” Jamil wrote in an Instagram post. “I hope you know that if you’re not being believed over your achievements… that it’s not a reflection of you… it’s a reflection of people who are so underachieving, cowardly and insecure that they can’t fathom that you could be impressive. It happens at every level in every industry. Even to me. Even when I don’t credit myself, my boyfriend just quietly credited me. We are in this shit together. Representation matters. It is not our responsibility to be believed, liked, understood or approved of”.
Jameela Jamil has produced on James Blake after that. The most recent being on Playing Robots into Heaven of 2023. I don’t think that she was given respect or any sort of acknowledgement for that. People still feeling she was being credited our of nepotism or that her boyfriend recorded the material. As we have heard in new interviews, Jamil was a huge part of Trying Times. Her experience as a D.J. and someone with this extensive musical and technical knowledge, she has been in the industry for a very long time. If people think it is all James Blake producing and guiding the music, the album that comes out on 13th March would not be the same without Jamela Jamil. The songs would not be as strong and impactful. Essentially, it would not be as good as it should be - or ready. With there still being so much misogyny around women in production and the industry not doing enough to address imbalance and discrimination, I do feel like women like Jameela Jamil need to be addressed and seen as great producers, rather than muses, girlfriends, or someone given a credit because the artist is being nice. The songs I have included above are ones Jamil has produced on. Showing her instincts, skills and knowledge, they would be lesser tracks without her. I am interested to see the credits for Trying Times, as I feel she is more involved in James Blake’s music and production than ever. Even though she is based in the U.S. these days, I hope that Jameela Jamil spends some time back in the U.K. soon. I am a member of The Trouble Club, and she would be an amazing guest. I hope that happens one day. That is a slight detour. I wanted to publish this feature because there was so much misogyny around her production work in 2021 for Friends That Break Your Heart. When Trying Times is released, will there be retrospective apology and respect for someone whose contribution and brilliance on James Blake’s recent albums is a reason why they are so acclaimed and memorable?! Even if they are in a relationship, there is this professional one – albeit, one with more affection and a different nature of trust – that is separate. In terms of women being credited and respected as producers, we are still in the Dark Ages. I hope that things shift in the industry! I am a fan of James Blake and love his music. He is a wonderful singer, songwriter and producer. However, I feel that his album are as strong and enduring…
BECAUSE of Jameela Jamil.