Eves Karydas – real name Hannah Evyenia Karydas – has opened up about industry pressures to be “someone all the girls want to be and all the guys want to fuck.”
Taking to Instagram yesterday (October 9), the Brisbane singer shared a statement about her experiences with navigating social media as a woman in music. In the candid post, she outlined the detrimental effects that creating social content has had on her self-worth and authenticity, and how this pressure was perpetuated by the music industry.
“I’ve gone through the last few years with deep inner turmoil; living silently with a misalignment of values,” she wrote. “I’ve posted thirst traps, marketed myself as a ‘hot girl’, obsessively checked likes, read comments, puked at the gross misogyny it incites but also secretly craved the attention.
“And for what? All because I was told that was how to get ahead in this industry? Because I was constantly told I’d have to readjust my expectations of success if I did any differently?”
“It needs to be said that there is a problem,” she continued. “This is an industry that feeds off impressionable young people, pushing popularity propaganda, using social media stats as goal posts. And from my experience, where there is social media clout, sexual harrasment is also lurking behind the curtains.”
Karydas went on to say that she’d spent more time becoming “someone all the girls want to be and all the guys want to fuck” – as she was “advised” to by those around her – than she’d spent on writing music. “When did the industry become about this?”
“If finding success means killing my soul for some likes and comments, then I don’t want it,” she continued. “So in an effort to not only salvage my creativity but to also survive, I’m moving forward self-managed.”
Read her full post below.
Karydas’ post drew an outpouring of support from other artists – largely fellow female musicians. “So incredibly well said,” wrote Gretta Ray, “Sending you so much love, you’re amazing.”
“Thank you for your bravery,” wrote CXLOE, while Kira Puru added: “Get it queen.”
Karydas released her debut album, ‘summerskin’, in 2018, comprising cuts such as ‘Damn Loyal’, ‘Further Than The Planes Fly’ and ‘Wildest Ones’. She followed it up with 2020 singles ‘Complicated’ and ‘Get Me So High’, as well as a 2021 EP titled ‘Reruns’.