‘Certain kinds of music have good beats’ but the videos and the message can be ‘completely repulsive’.

A new campaign called ‘Rewind&Reframe’ was launched on 11 November which sees young women blogging about their views on music videos.

They are also denouncing sexism and racism in many contemporary music videos and they have sent open letters to the chief executives of the BPI and vevo, and to David Cameron calling on the music industry and the UK Government to address the issues.

They criticise the sexualisation and racist stereotypes in videos by artists including Robin Thicke, Calvin Harris, Iggy Azalea and Major Lazer, and say how many music videos make them feel: at best uncomfortable and in many cases threatened and angry.

One young woman involved in the project said: “There are times when I hate myself for liking certain kinds of music or song.

“They have good beats but the videos and the message is sometimes completely repulsive, and even hateful…

“Music videos are affecting dance too, women are just expected to dance in a sexual way…

“People always talk about choice, but where is my choice to not be sexualised when everyone expects and sees only that when they look at me?”

The letter to the BPI criticises the commissioning, styling, production and publication of music videos which routinely sexualise and demean women, and which commonly use racist stereotypes.

Music companies are reminded that they are alienating a considerable part of their target market who are now taking to social media to criticise and shame them.

Video-sharing platform vevo – which hosted the explicit version of Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’ even when YouTube did not – is criticised for having vague terms and conditions which make it difficult to complain about sexist-racist material.

Those signing the letters are calling on these companies to pledge not to portray women this way and to up their creative game.

The letter to the Prime Minister, which has also been copied to other Cabinet members and members of the Opposition, cites research on sexualisation in popular culture as creating a “conducive context” for tolerance of abuse of women and girls.

The letter calls on the Prime Minister to push ahead with the recommendation in the Bailey Review – which he commissioned – that age ratings be introduced on music videos.

The letter says such age ratings should be applied to music videos wherever they are viewed – online as well as those bought in shops – to ensure consistency of media regulation.

Campaigners believe that such a move would present some younger children seeing inappropriate material and that it would provide an incentive for music industry decision makers targeting younger markets not to commission such work in the first place.

On 7 November parenting website Netmums released the results of a survey showing strong parental disapproval for the sexualised content in many contemporary music videos: children had acted out other porn-style dance moves, and young children had repeated sexual lyrics without realising the meaning.

Rewind&Reframe was set up earlier this year by three women’s organisations – the End Violence Against Women Coalition, Imkaan and Object – in response to concerns voiced by young black and ethnic minority women the women’s groups were already working with that music videos created a potentially harmful social environment for them, but that their voices on this were not being heard.

As well as the open letter, there is also an online petition addressed to the Prime Minister, calling on him to put age ratings on music videos regardless of whether they are sold in shops or viewed online.

To sign the petition click here.