11 Nepo-Baby Musicians Who Prove It Isn't Just Hollywood That Has A Nepotism Problem

    They're everywhere!

    Sam Cleal
    by Sam Cleal

    BuzzFeed Staff

    There's a been a lot of talk about nepo babies of late, with many critics blasting celebs who have seemingly found fame and fortune by virtue of their connections in the industry.

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    Reminder, nepo babies are basically the children of celebrities or otherwise affluent figures who have forged careers in similar or adjacent industries. The implication being that they are successful because they have inside access to the industry.

    The tendency in nepo baby discourse is to focus on Hollywood and acting, but in truth it happens everywhere. Today, we'll be focusing on the music industry, which has its fair share of nepo babies. Here are some of the biggest examples...

    1. Willow Smith

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    Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know who Willow Smith is and who her parents are. Willow's first foray into the entertainment industry came in 2007 when she appeared in I Am Legend alongside her father, Will Smith (she was seven at the time of release). At ten, she released the platinum-certified single "Whip My Hair", which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and garnered millions of views on YouTube.

    Willow later signed to Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation, and has since released four albums under the label, spawning hit singles such as "Wait a Minute!" and "Transparent Soul". She also recently had another single on the Billboard Hot 100 with the song "Meet Me at Our Spot" as part of The Anxiety with Tyler Cole.

    Reflecting on her daughter's success, Jada Pinkett Smith took to Instagram last year to congratulate Willow on her two MTV Video Music Award nominations, adding "When your daughter becomes the rock star you could only wish of becoming".

    2. Lola Lennox

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    Singer-songwriter, Lola, recently released her EP Dreamer, and gave a special gala performance for the Teenage Cancer Trust alongside the likes of Roger Daltrey, Kasabian, Joan Armatrading, and Courteeners. Lola is, of course, the daughter of Eurythmics star and British musical icon Annie Lennox, who also executively produced Dreamer.

    Having sang and played the piano from a young age, Lola earned a place at the Royal Academy of Music as a vocal undergrad. 2020 saw her duet with her mother for the historic One World: Together at Home concert event organised by Global Citizen and curated by Lady Gaga. The pair performed "There Must Be An Angel" to an audience of over 270 million viewers.

    Of working with her daughter on her EP, Annie told The One Show, "we put the outside world and what I've done outside. When we're together, and especially with Braeden who is Lola's partner... we all just get on with the job of making music and it's been such a joy for me".

    3. Mabel

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    Mabel is a British-Swedish singer and songwriter whose breakthrough came in 2017, when her single "Finders Keepers" appeared in the UK singles charts at number eight. She followed up with her debut album, High Expectations, in 2019, which included the hit singles "Don't Call Me Up", "Mad Love", and "Boyfriend".

    Encouraged by her parents, Sugababes and Massive Attack music producer Cameron McVey and singer Neneh Cherry, Mabel studied music in Stockholm at Rytmus Musikergymnasiet. She signed with Universal back in 2015, and would go on to support Harry Styles on his 2018 album tour.

    Of her youth, Mabel has said, "I lived wherever my parents felt like making music... I've always been on tour buses and I can sleep really well on planes and in cars." After winning Best Female Solo ­Artist at the 2020 Brit Awards, Mabel gave a shout out to her "amazing" mum and dad, saying, "you've both been so inspiring and such beautiful examples that anything is possible".

    4. Ben Platt

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    Singer, actor, and songwriter, Ben, has had a pretty wild career so far, fronting a Netflix TV series (The Politician) and worldwide hit musical (Dear Evan Hansen) to name a few of his projects. He has also released two studio albums showcasing his amazing voice and toured both of them around his native USA.

    Ben has been called out in a big way for getting ahead in the industry thanks to his film, TV, and theatre producer father, Marc, and his banker and philanthropist mother, Julie. In 2021, after the trailer drop of Dear Evan Hansen the movie, fans were quick to point out that Ben's casting wasn't ideal, as he was much older than the part required him to be. He was also accused of nepotism, given that his father, Marc, was producing the film.

    Ben called his critics "Randos Being Jerks", and argued that the movie wouldn't have been made without his involvement. Since then, he seems to have stayed out of the limelight a bit, favouring smaller productions like The People We Hate at the Wedding and focusing on his personal life (he got engaged to Noah Galvin last year).

    5. Taylor Swift

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    I think we all know who Taylor Swift is. The singer behind hits like "Shake It Off", "Love Story", and "Anti-Hero" has broken numerous records and won countless awards, becoming an A-List fixture in the music and entertainment biz. It's certainly true that Taylor has worked hard for her spot in the industry and given up a lot to be there, but her journey would probably not have been so smooth without her parents' support.

    Though Taylor's parents are not entertainers by trade – her dad is a former stockbroker who has advised music industry folk before and her mum was a marketing executive – she did receive a minor "leg-up" when her father purchased a three per cent stake in the up-and-coming Big Machine Records, Taylor's first record label.

    From there, Scott Swift has continued in his financial career in which he is Managing Director of The Swift Group at Merrill Lynch. Taylor has said of her parents they have always encouraged her ambition, telling her she was "different and unique and special and that [she] could do whatever [she] wanted". She wrote her song "The Best Day" about them and her brother, Austin!

    6. Lily Allen

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    Lily Allen exploded onto the music scene back in 2005, when she began releasing her music on Myspace, which eventually led to a record deal with Regal Recordings. Since then, she's had numerous hits, and is even credited – alongside her contemporary, the late Amy Winehouse – with ushering in a new wave of British female singers back in the '00s.

    Lily has not been shy about wearing her nepo-baby label, even calling herself the "chief nepo baby defender" on Twitter. Her dad is actor Keith Allen and her mum is film producer Alison Owen, who, in her own words have both provided Lily with a "privileged upbringing... that has created so many opportunities for me."

    Even so, Lily has argued that nepo-babies are not the biggest issue facing the entertainment industry today. "It is quite clear that there is a severe lack of representation in the industry where class and race are concerned", the singer and actor tweeted last year. "I do feel that nepo babies are being somewhat scapegoated here [and] there is a wider, societal conversation to be had about wealth inequality". She also made the point that nepo-babies are "starved of... basic things in childhood as their parents are probably narcissistic".

    7. King Princess

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    King Princess has dazzled music critics ever since her certified platinum debut single "1950" was released back in 2018. The singer-songwriter has since released two studio albums, both to critical acclaim, and has collaborated with the likes of Mark Ronson. Now she's busy enjoying a career that she has pretty much envisioned ever since childhood.

    Princess is the daughter of Oliver H. Straus Jr., a recording engineer and the owner of Mission Sound recording studio. She was first offered a record label at 11, but turned it down as she felt she was too young to make music. According to Princess, she grew up in the studio where her dad was always making music and has always dreamed of being a rock star – she even got to shake Missy Elliot's hand at just ten years old!

    As well as her father's connection to the music industry, it's interesting to note that Princess' great-grandfather was Isidor Straus, a US congressman and co-owner of Macy's. In 2019, Princess told Rolling Stone that she didn't inherit any fortune from him or his wife, Ida Straus, who both died on board the RMS Titanic.

    8. Enrique Iglesias

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    I think it's fair to say that Enrique has somewhat retreated from public life in order to raise his family with former tennis pro Anna Kournikova, but back in the day he was HUGE! The hitmaker is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time, with five Billboard Hot 100 top five singles, including two number-ones to his name.

    I guess the apple didn't fall too far from the tree, because Enrique's dad is singer Julio Iglesias, who is the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world. Despite his father's legacy, Enrique wanted to forge his own career away from his family name, leading him to submit his first demo under the fake name Enrique Martinez. However, after signing with a Mexican label, he reverted to his real name for his eponymous debut album.

    When asked if his name got him ahead, Enrique told Rita Braver, "I think at times it was positive and at times it was negative... Does it gather the attention of the media? Yes, it does. But it could also at times discredit you." He has also revealed in the past that he is "distant" with her father and that they "seldom speak".

    9. Miley Cyrus

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    Probably one of the more glaring examples of a nepo-baby, Miley is well known for being the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, with whom she shared a screen on Hannah Montana. Having emerged as a teen idol during the late noughties, Miley later embarked on a solo career that has since earned her numerous hit and awards.

    Miley chose to honour her father in a 2017 single released for her sixth studio album, Younger Now, called "Inspired". In it, she references her father and the impact he has had on her personally and professionally, singing, "He somehow has a way of knowing what to say / So when I'm feeling sad, he makes me feel inspired." Miley has also been quoted as saying "if anything, I used my dad", when asked about whether she felt exploited back in her Hannah Montana days.

    Another person looking over Miley is her self-confessed "fairy godmother", the legend that is Dolly Parton. Of Miley's success, the country icon told The Evening Standard, "I've loved her through the years and watched her grow up, and I've seen how smart she is and how talented she is... I don't think people really realise yet what a great singer and writer she really is."

    10. Zoë Kravitz

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    Zoë Kravitz is probably best known for her acting in the likes of Big Little Lies, the Fantastic Beasts film series, and The Batman, but she's also a talented musician. She began making music at 16 years old, writing songs and being a part of a range of projects including LOLAWOLF, Elevator Fight, and The Citizens Band.

    Her father, of course, is singer-songwriter and actor Lenny Kravitz, meanwhile her mother is actor Lisa Bonet, known for her portrayal of Denise Huxtable in The Cosby Show and its spin-off series, A Different World. Despite her father's illustrious musical legacy, Zoë has told various outlets that music-making is her hobby: "I like to make music because it's fun to do and it makes me feel good, but I have no desire to be a huge pop singer or anything like that."

    11. Simon Cowell

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    Television personality and record executive, Simon, is known the land over for his catty and blunt antics on talent shows, and for being the founder and sole owner of the British entertainment company, Syco. As a record exec, he has worked with the likes of Little Mix, Susan Boyle, Noah Cyrus, Fifth Harmony, and – of course – One Direction.

    His mother, Julie Brett, was a ballet dancer and socialite, and his father, Eric Cowell, was an estate agent, property developer, and music industry executive who worked for EMI Music Publishing. According to a book on his life by Tom Bower, Simon's dad pulled some strings to get him a job at EMI, which was something his son desperately wanted.

    After leaving EMI to set up his own business, Simon struggled to find the right collaborators, but soon ended up founding Fanfare Records with Iain Burton. He later set up S Records under BMG, and worked with the bands Robson & Jerome, Five, and Westlife. Simon joined Pop Idol as a judge in 2001 and the rest, as they say, is history!

    Did any of these surprise you? Did we miss anyone out? Let us know in the comments!

    Correction: A previous version of this post included Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande, but upon further research, they have been removed.