Paloma Faith has hit out at critics of Glastonbury 2024’s female performers, calling the social media response “absolutely appalling”.
Faith, who performed on the Pyramid Stage yesterday (June 30), mentioned artists such as Little Simz, Janelle Monae, Dua Lipa and SZA in a post responding to backlash levelled at female artists over the weekend.
Dua Lipa, who performed on Friday (June 28) was accused of miming, while SZA’s headline slot on Sunday was plagued by audio issues and an uncharacteristically small crowd.
The day after performing her comparatively smoother set, during which she covered Amy Winehouse, Faith took to X/Twitter to say: “The way people criticise the women who performed at @glastonbury online is absolutely appalling.”
The way people criticise the women who performed at @glastonbury online is absolutely appalling.
I think people need to understand that women are not on stage to be ridiculed and shamed we are there in all our boss bitch power and we stand by one another.
GIVE WOMEN A BREAK pic.twitter.com/goleam3XQY
— Paloma Faith (@Palomafaith) July 1, 2024
Personally I watched women perform my fave shows of Glastonbury @LittleSimz @JanelleMonae @sza and @DUALIPA were my faves for entertainment power and talent that I managed to catch this year and Janelle’s speech about marginalised Communities got me in the heart.
— Paloma Faith (@Palomafaith) July 1, 2024
“I think people need to understand that women are not on stage to be ridiculed and shamed we are there in all our boss bitch power and we stand by one another. GIVE WOMEN A BREAK.”
In a follow-up tweet, she wrote: “Personally I watched women perform my fave shows of Glastonbury @LittleSimz @JanelleMonae @sza and @DUALIPA were my faves for entertainment power and talent that I managed to catch this year and Janelle’s speech about marginalised Communities got me in the heart.”
Towards the end of their performance, Monae had told fans: “The one thing I want to mention is that we have the best community, it’s not because we look the coolest or are the coolest, but it’s the way that we protect other marginalised people.”
The ‘Django Jane’ singer was up against clashes with Avril Lavigne’s set and the England-Slovakia match, suffering a similar fate to SZA and drawing a smaller than usual crowd as a result, which many fans online speculated was due to poor organisation by the festival organisers.
Glastonbury has let down a lot of its biggest female acts this year. SZA should have been Fri or Sat headliner, Avril, Janelle and Sugababes on bigger stages, Shania and Cyndi without being plagued by sound issues.
— Roisin O’Connor (@Roisin_OConnor) June 30, 2024
On SZA’s headline performance, NME wrote: “As disjointed as this show occasionally is, though, it’s hypnotic and potent,” in a four-star review; which also noted that “her streaming stats show that she has an overwhelmingly Gen Z audience – the same followers who may be largely priced out of attendance at an event like this”.
Now, SZA has seemingly responded the divisive social commentary Faith was referencing. Taking to X/Twitter, the singer wrote: “The bravery required to be alive in public is remarkable. S/o everybody doing that shit.”
Likewise, Dua Lipa has responded to claims she was miming, simply telling a MailOnline reporter: “I don’t mime,” after critics resolved she sounded “too polished to be live“.