One of the UK's top music festivals is edging ever closer but it's already been met with controversy following the release of its headline.
The Glastonbury Festival is set to return to Somerset, England, in June. Close to 210,000 people will get the chance to see their favorite artists perform their biggest and best hits over five jam-packed days - including Sir Elton John appearing in his final ever UK date.
Since the release of their lineup last week, however, the festival has received immense backlash over the fact that their headliners are all-male - Elton John, the Arctic Monkeys, and Guns N' Roses.
Festival organizers did reveal that a female artist had originally been set to take Guns N' Roses' place, but had to pull out due to the dates coinciding with their tour. While no names were mentioned, many fans have speculated that this could have been Taylor Swift, who will be playing the US leg of her tour during the Glastonbury Festival.
Numerous female artists like Lizzo, Kelis, and Becky Hill are also in the lineup - but aren't headlining. Rather, Lizzo is opening for Guns N' Roses.
'Westcoast' singer Lana Del Rey has since hit out at the lineup, saying that she is actually headlining the second stage but that this hasn't been promoted or advertised by the festival organizers.
Following the release of the lineup, the 37-year-old reportedly stated on her private Instagram: "Well, I'm actually headlining the 2nd stage. But, since there was no consideration for announcing that we'll see."
Then, in the comments section below the lineup poster, Del Rey wrote: "Thanks for announcing that I was headlining the other stage. Thumbs up," accompanied by the universal symbol of passive aggressiveness, a thumbs up emoji.
Just prior to the release of the lineup, the festival's co-organizer Emily Eavis did an interview with The Guardian where she declared that the festival had been trying their best, but that the lack of female headliners is really down to the music industry and the amount that they're investing in supporting female musicians.
"We're trying our best so the pipeline needs to be developed. This starts way back with the record companies, radio. I can shout as loud as I like but we need to get everyone on board," she stated, adding: "It's top of our agenda, and it probably makes it a bit harder because we've decided to make that important to us. To be honest, sometimes it's easier to keep your head down."
Users on Twitter haven't been so positive about the lineup, with music journalist Roisin O'Conner writing: "Situations like this year's Glastonbury lineup are a direct symptom of industry failures to support female artists from the ground up. Getting them on the smaller stages, on radio, at live venues."
"For years, festivals have been booking the same tired headliners again and again out of fear that punters won't turn up. Labels signing up x100 identikit male singer-songwriters but only championing one female pop star at a time," she continued.
As for Del Rey, it looks like we'll have to stay tuned to see whether she will continue her set or pull out of the festival altogether.
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