Think of any popular song. Doesn’t matter what genre, what comes to your mind? Was it a song performed by a woman? While the answer might or might not be yes, female artists have been dominating the music industry for decades. Looking at just a few of my favorite modern female performers (meaning I won’t be talking about singers like Stevie Nicks or Whitney Houston), let’s dive into what makes women in music so captivating and exciting.
THE LIGHT SIDE
I believe that we are in an ultimate positive femininity era. Women have embraced not just themselves and their bodies, but also their own sound. They are not afraid to sound “girly” or “too poppy.” A great example of this is Lizzo; she is unapologetically herself and it has paid off. Her music encourages girls to love themselves no matter what they look like, as well as not taking crap from anyone who stands in their way. The fact that Lizzo embraces her size and is so transparent about her lifestyle is so refreshing to see after so many years of witnessing celebrities destroy their physical and mental health for fame.
Now I feel like it’s impossible to mention empowering female singers without mentioning Taylor Swift. She has sky-rocketed to becoming one of the most popular artists of the 21st century, even being crowned as Artist of the Decade at the AMAs in 2019. Not only has she proved to be talented in many genres of music, she has succeeded every single time. Having listened to her since I was six, she has been a huge part of shaping who I am and showing me what a girl can do with a dream. Not any artist can just break the entirety of Ticketmaster, you know.
THE DARK SIDE
While women have embraced the wonderful things that come with being a woman, we have also become in tune with our savage sides. Female rage has become a trend in media lately, and I’m in love with it. Florence Welch, the lead singer of the band Florence + the Machine, is one of my favorite artists that falls in this category. She has one of the most powerful stage presences I’ve ever seen. Her gothic and raw voice carries through intense sounds that range from powerful anthems to making you want to dance in a field of flowers. I saw her live in Chicago in 2018, and it was incredible watching Florence run deep into the crowd and start dancing with everyone. It felt like a true human experience, just people listening to music and sharing a free space to be themselves.
If Florence is beautiful female rage, Ethel Cain is that rage completely gutted and overflowing. Ethel Cain, a trans woman from Tallahassee, Florida now living in Pennsylvania, has shot up in popularity just this past year with her first full LP, Preacher’s Daughter. It is one of my favorite albums of last year and has vocals and sounds unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Cain is absolutely feral in her execution of this conceptual album about cannibalism and religious upbringings, all while singing her heart out with hypnotizing vocals. Concept albums are always my favorite, and she brought one of the best ones I’ve heard to the table, ripped right open. Ethel Cain brought me music that I have always wanted to hear: music that unleashes the fierce yet gentle side of womanhood.
EVERYTHING, Everywhere, IN BETWEEN
A type of music that has become very popular is that of “happy sounds and sad lyrics.” Japanese-American singer-songwriter Mitski has mastered this complicated mix of emotions since the 2010s. Mitski’s music will make you get up and dance until you actually listen to the lyrics and start crying. Her now Academy Award-nominated song “This is a Life” with Son Lux and David Byrne from the film Everything, Everywhere, All at Once hit me on a whole other level. Mitski knows when to be gentle with her listeners, and when to slap them in the face with raw emotion.
Phoebe Bridgers is another artist that has used this mix of upbeat songs with heartbreaking lyrics. While her music is more mellow than some of Mitski’s material, it has resonated with me and so many others so deeply. Bridgers has a knack for reminiscing on the past in such a profound way that it can bring anyone to tears. “Scott Street” is a perfect example of this; it’s a song that holds you tight while you cry on its shoulder. Almost everyone I know loves Phoebe Bridgers, and I think that is for a reason.
While women in music have come a long way and risen to immense popularity in all genres, it is still not easy to be able to get to where these women are today. Some of the women I have spoken about here have gotten criticized for their appearance or for performing in the same way a man does. This is still a roadblock that needs to be broken down, but I believe we will get there. The fact that we have so many diverse women working in the industry today is so incredible and is something to be treasured. Luckily, artists like these have given girls and women a space to feel belonged and be themselves.