Paloma Faith: The truth about bringing up my child gender-neutral “I get upset when I wake up and the tabloids say I’m raising my child gender-neutral as if it’s the […]

“I get upset when I wake up and the tabloids say I’m raising my child gender-neutral as if it’s the most awful, horrible thing,” says Paloma Faith, the best-selling singer, whose flamboyant persona disguises a more sensitive disposition.

“Gender-neutral to me means not enforcing social stereotypes.” Paloma Faith

Faith is following three double-platinum albums with The Architect, an ambitious attempt to fuse her beliefs in feminism, socialism, “humanity and compassion”.

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It is the only album this year to feature Samuel L. Jackson, John Legend and political polemicist Owen Jones.

However her rare willingness to speak out about social issues means the Hackney-born performer is regularly misinterpreted.

Faith’s desire to bring up the child she gave birth to, after a traumatic labour, as gender-neutral is the latest example.

“I would never do anything bad to my child,” she tells i. “People said ‘she’s purposefully raising her child to be transgender’ which is absolutely not what I meant. But if they were, I would love them the same as if they were straight, heterosexual and worked in IT.”

‘I would love my child even if they worked in IT’

Faith, 36, explained: “Gender-neutral to me means not enforcing social stereotypes. I just want them to grow up and feel like they can achieve anything.” She said: “I look under baby boys and girls when I buy clothes and I want my child to play with ‘boys and girls’ toys.”

“It’s been scientifically shown that gender isn’t established at a chemical level until a child is six, so why should you have to differentiate before? I hated dolls. My favourite toy was He-Man with a glittery chest – no wonder I became a gay icon,” she joked.

“Pornography and music are the two industries where there isn’t a gender pay gap in front of the camera” Paloma Faith

Guilty inspired by regretful Leave voter

The Architect, inspired by Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, is a state-of-the-planet concept album. Guilty is written “from the perspective of someone who voted Leave in the referendum and regretted it. But it could also be about a relationship.”

Warrior, with it’s “looking for someone to let me in” lyric, is about the refugee crisis whilst Kings and Queens is the true story of a teenage boy she grew up with who was targeted by the police because of his race.

Still Around pleads with women to leave the men who abuse them. Although Faith has not personally experienced sexual exploitation in the music industry, the Harvey Weinstein scandal has alerted her to more subtle forms of sexism.

Everyday Sexism in music industry

“This is the first record I’ve ever received any level of production credit for. But I’ve had more than a hand in the production of all my records and I would say I’ve had a lot more to do with this production than I’m being credited for,” she argued.

“Everyone assumes the visuals are the idea of my production manager but I come up with all of the visual ideas and I hire people to do the technical drawings. I think that is everyday sexism. I should fight it but I’ve got bigger fish to fry right now.”

Faith added: “My guess is that pornography and music are the two industries where there isn’t a gender pay gap in front of the camera. It’s a different story behind the scenes though. Even the women in power have to downplay their femininity.”

‘Sometimes I wish I would just shut up’

Faith will not join the treadmill of bland pop stars fearful of saying anything which might derail their fragile grip on fame.

“You really have to feel like sticking your head above the parapet. Sometimes, when you’re in your more vulnerable moments, which for women is cyclical, you can feel ‘I wish I would just shut up today.’” “I feel as a female artist, it’s rare to hear women singing about anything other than heartbreak. I do think that’s not necessarily the best role model to set because there’s much, much more to us.”

“As my career goes on, my ambition is to have more ownership and credit over it.”

:: The Architect is released November 17. Paloma Faith tours the UK next March.