Alyxandra Vesey’s book *Extending Play* looks at how women in music deal with gender inequality by using smart branding

Alyxandra Vesey’s book Extending Play talks about how women in the music industry deal with gender inequality by using branding and partnerships. Even though many female pop stars are very visible, the music business is still unfair to women. To have longer careers, women often create their own brands through fashion, makeup, food, and technology.

The book focuses on how female artists use these brand partnerships to express themselves, share ideas about feminism, and stay relevant in the industry. Vesey looks at how these collaborations became common in the early 2000s and how women shaped them through things like fan merchandise, concert items, and lifestyle branding. Women play a big role in these areas, using their images and fan support to manage their careers.

Vesey analyzes songs, music videos, interviews, social media posts, and marketing campaigns to show how female musicians create and promote products like perfume, clothes, makeup, cookbooks, and even music equipment. These products allow them to explore ideas about gender and femininity while dealing with sexism and ageism in the industry. The book highlights how women use these skills to prove their creativity and stay in control of their careers.

The book combines studies about stars, music, and media to show how female musicians bring different parts of the industry together and use their talents outside of music to succeed.

Alyxandra Vesey is a professor at the University of Alabama. Her research focuses on how gender affects creative work in the music industry. Her writing has appeared in several academic journals and books.