Things have seemed to completely go to sh*t these past two weeks alone: Notre Dame made the decision to close for the semester, I am doing schoolwork in my house for the first time since 8th grade and my parents are making me wear gloves and a mask if I even dare venture to the grocery store. Rather than giving the current ~global pandemic~ even more attention, I decided to focus on the fact that we are, in fact, still in Women’s History month. One of the benefits of being in quarantine is the fact that I have had ample time to discover and rediscover amazing female artists. Here are some that, in my opinion, deserve far more attention.
- Mariah the Scientist
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Mariah holds a resume that most artists couldn’t even dream of. She got her nickname in college where she was studying science and pre-medicine. Upon reading her biography, I was automatically in awe of Mariah’s wide range of talent: her intelligence, her word crafting and her contributions to the R&B world. In her song “Thanks for Nothing,” Mariah sings one of my favorite lyrics: “Please don’t think I’m Heartless, I’d rather think with my brain.” While this lyric ultimately is hinting at the fact that she is putting herself first and does not want to become hurt in a relationship again. I think that this one line can be placed into a range of explanations and scenarios—all in which women are not just being emotional, but instead are capable of making the most reasonable decision for themselves.
Two more amazing songs by Mariah: 1) “Reminders” 2) “Not a Love Song”
- LUME
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So the backstory of my LUME discovery is a little odd. I was standing at the sinks in the bathroom at the South Bend restaurant Woochi, taking photos of the crystals in the sink (weird, I know, but they are pretty cool). While I was convincing myself that these photos would come out completely amazing, I found myself entranced by the music playing in the background. I immediately opened Snapchat and Shazamed the track playing above me in the speakers: it was “Skin” by LUME. After spending an embarrassing amount of time in the bathroom, I returned to my table and went on about the “most beautiful song I heard.” Since this glorious day in Woochi, I have been loving LUME.
- Empress Of
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While I adore Lana del Rey, I would say that Empress Of has a better version of her song “Love.” Empress Of takes the slow and beautiful song and transforms it into an upbeat and stunning version, while retaining the beauty. After loving her cover, I began to discover her other amazing work, including “When I’m With Him,” “Wild Girl” and “I Don’t Even Smoke Weed.” Empress Of creates music that is not only upbeat, but emotionally stimulating and beautiful.
- Weyes Blood
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Weyes Blood’s vocals are often compared to those of Karen Carpenter, which is one of the reasons I discovered her work. I grew up listening to Karen Carpenter with my mom and was elated when I found out that Weyes Blood was able to provide music that not only resembled Carpenter, but brought a more contemporary feel. The song that I had on repeat for the majority of my finals week last semester was “Andromeda.” Other amazing songs I have fallen in love with are “Suddenly” and “A Lots Gonna Change.”
- Tove Lo
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While Tove Lo is well known for “Habits (Stay High),” her talent does not end with this song. Last year, Tove Lo came out with the album Sunshine Kitty, and one of my favorite songs is off of this album: “Glad He’s Gone.” A song perfect for any girl who is out of a relationship and encourages focus on the friendships already had and loved. Her 2017 album Blue Lips has a beautiful, slower, more emotional song titled “hey you got drugs?” Channel your inner 2014 self and dive back into Tove Lo.
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