First Came Lady Liberty, Now Comes Xania Monet

abeam93
Oct 2
3 min read

Scrolling through Instagram the other night, past the endless debates about Xania Monet, the million-dollar AI pop star, I had a thought. The first "successful" AI artist deal didn't go to a male avatar, but to a female-presenting one.

The City's Symbols, The Industry Patterns

Think about it, Lady Liberty, poised with her torch. Justice, blindfolded and holding her scales. Even Columbia Pictures introducing films with a glowing woman draped in a toga. When we want to embody ideals of freedom, fairness, and enlightenment, we so often put a woman at the center.

And now, the music industry has its own shimmering icon: a female AI artist. But unlike Liberty or Justice, she doesn't have her own voice, her own agency, her own story. She's coded. Designed. Programmed.

And let's not forget the numbers: historically, women have made up only about 22% of artists on major charts. Even today, they hover around 37-38% of the industry's performers. Progress sure, but still a reminder that the stage was never equally shared.

The Promise of AI Artistry

I actually think, the idea of an AI artist is kind of amazing. Imagine being a songwriter or producer who doesn't sing, but longs to express yourself. AI opens up that possibility, creating a new canvas for creativity. It could democratize artistry in a way we've never seen before.

The question is: when we don't know who's behind the avatar, how do we know if it's an authentic expression or just another layer of control? Especially when the avatar is female-presenting, the line between empowerment and exploitation becomes very thin.

Femininity Without the Messy Human Parts

The music industry has never had the easiest relationship with real women. For decades, it has limited how female artists express femininity, too much skin, not enough, too outspoken, too quiet, too emotional, not marketable enough. And now? It's found a workaround: a woman who can't resist, rebel, or redefine herself.

And behind the curtain, the numbers shrink even more. Women held just 5.9% of producing credits in 2024. On top of that only 18.9% of songwriters credited on popular songs were women in 2024. Even in the top 70 music companies studied, only 13.9% of top executives were women. Which means even when women's faces and voices are front and center, control still sits elsewhere.

An AI avatar is femininity without the "messy" parts; no aging, no opinions, no inconvenient truths—just a projection of what's palatable, profitable, and perfectly packaged.

Liberty vs. Illusion

Standing on the edge of Manhattan, you can see Lady Liberty proud, immovable, a woman cast in copper who still tells a story of hope. But looking at Xania Monet, I had to ask myself: are AI's female "artists" the next Statue of Liberty... or just another billboard dressed up as one?

And I couldn't help but wonder... is the rise of female AI artists a symbol of progress, or just the latest remix of objectification, glittering, digital, and silent?

Let me know your thoughts on the new signing of AI artist Xania Monet. Comment below.

PS: If you are a woman or femme presenting in the music industry, you are a badass. And for a little confession time...I've fooled around on Suno and honestly? It's pretty cool. But even with all the fun of AI, I still believe the real magic happens when you're in a room creating with actual people.

With love & grit,