Female musicians are great—not only do they, like men, make amazing music (does this still need to be said?), but also they serve as great role models for girls looking for creative inspiration. Additionally, I sometimes feel that women who make music aren’t as valued in the mainstream media–so if you are ever feeling some musical monotony, queue up these great female musicians and give them some well-deserved recognition!
The Aces are four friends from Provo, Utah, and they’ve been making music together for years. They’re an indie pop group that I discovered last summer while browsing through Spotify. Their debut EP, I Don’t Like Being Honest, has four upbeat, catchy songs that I could listen to on repeat all day (I have done this). In addition, their songs are very relatable, with subjects ranging from problems with purely physical relationships to interacting with an ex. On an unrelated note, I also love their style, and would do anything to go through their closets.
My favorites: Physical, Baby Who
You might know Billie Eilish from the Astronomyy remix of her song “Ocean Eyes.” What you might not know is that Billie just released an EP called dont smile at me, and it is, to put it simply, cool. In fact, Billie is only fifteen years old and is cooler than I will ever be. When I told my fellow music addict friend that she was fifteen, she didn’t believe me for five minutes until I made her Google it. Billie’s music is definitely different than the run of the mill pop, and it has unique elements that make it essential to check out. Her lyrics match perfectly with her otherworldly voice. Also her riffs and bars are so catchy. Billie is definitely one to watch, especially since she’s only fifteen!
My favorites: bellyache, my boy
I first heard SZA as the featured artist on the Rihanna track “Consideration,” and she dropped her first full-length album, Ctrl, back in June of this year. SZA is an alternative R&B artist whose music is a breath of fresh air. SZA is definitely getting some well-deserved attention nowadays, but I still know some people who don’t know who she is, and that’s a tragedy. Also, her song “Love Galore” with Travis Scott just went certified platinum!
My favorites: Broken Clocks, The Weekend
Cloves is the stage name of Kaity Dunstan, a singer-songwriter with a beautiful, mature voice. She’s been singing in bars for some time now and she’s known that she wanted to sing for most of her life. After being eliminated from the Australian version of The Voice, she continued her music career (lucky for us!). She only has one EP (XIII) and a few singles so far, but hopefully she’s already started working on a full length LP!
My favorites: Don’t You Wait, California Numb
Also from Australia, Tash Sultana plays seven instruments AND she’s already planning ahead for the next few years. She wants to release her first full length album in 2018, tour, release another album, tour again, and then have a relaxing break before starting to work on music again. Tash’s diverse talent and work ethic are both inspiring qualities and she deserves some more love!
My favorites: Jungle, Murder to the Mind
Go ahead and listen to these artists NOW on my Spotify playlist!