According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, here are the definitions of “androgynous”:
androgynous
1: having the characteristics or nature of both male and female
2a : neither specifically feminine nor masculine
b : suitable to or for either sex
3: having traditional male and female roles obscured or reversed
I’ve selected two old-school androgynous musicians and two modern musicians. Not to reinforce the gender binary or anything, but it just worked out that the male-female ratio is 2:2 as well. I guess this accident proves how much the numbers of female and androgynous musicians have increased in the past few decades!
I also mention sexuality in each of my four artists’ descriptions, not to conflate sexual orientation and gender identity, but to emphasize an undeniable intersection of these identities for people in the LGBTQ community. I have always gravitated towards androgynous musicians, because they are empowering, creative, and confident in their musical, fashion, and personal choices. They inspire me to live stylishly and with conviction.
Without further ado, let’s introduce our first musician:
Little Richard
He is someone who influenced everyone from the Beatles, to Jimi Hendrix, to Freddie Mercury, to Prince, and many others. He taught the Beatles his squeal that he used in his music, for one thing. He also wore pompadours and makeup. His fluid sexual orientation and flamboyant aura challenged what it meant to be a man of color as well.
One of his songs, “Long Tall Sally”, featured a woman (or, some say, a transgender person, or possibly a drag queen) who challenged female gender roles. To dissect the gender ambiguity in this song, his character Sally’s body is “long and tall,” already dismantling body expectations for women. She’s also “built for speed,” which marks her as somebody who is risque and adventurous, in and out of the bedroom. This Sally character is apparently “bald headed,” which was not a popular hairstyle for women or men to have at the time.
Hooray for this musical pioneer!
David Bowie
This list would not be complete without him. The legendary David Bowie was an androgynous sex icon, with large amounts of both feminine and masculine energy that made every fan want to be like him… and with him. He had a red mullet, wore eye shadow, and had the famous thunderbolt painted across his face. He is frequently described by others- and himself -as a chameleon of sorts (musically and presentation-wise). Bowie created fantastical space-agey concepts behind his alter egos and albums, like Ziggy Stardust and Starman, which proves his depth as an artist. He also identified as bisexual. Here is his glorious music video for “Life On Mars?”.
Here’s an additional picture of him because he’s had too many drastically different looks to just settle on one picture.
St. Vincent
Here is a modern androgynous musician who even disclosed her ambivalence towards sexuality and gender in an interview. She is also very influenced by David Bowie. St. Vincent wears pompadours, and bleaches or teases out her brunette curls, depending on the album or tour she’s on at the time; being a stereotypically beautiful and feminine woman is the last thing she cares about. For her “St. Vincent” album tour, she frequently wore leather body suits or bondage-inspired clothes onstage. She also SHREDS guitar, which debunks the image of a lady-like musician. Some of her songs have a strong feminist message, like “Cruel” and “Cheerleader”, that discuss topics like the male gaze, and portray the unhappiness that suburban housewives in the ‘50s and ‘60s were forced to conceal. Also, the cover of her self-titled album features her sitting on a throne, which is super authoritative, and it’s cool to see a woman fulfilling the archetype of a powerful ruler instead of a man!
One of her newest songs “Prince Johnny” also complicates the gender binary. She reveals her attitudes about her own gender at the end (“make me a real girl”) and might be telling the story of a transgender friend who wants to be made “a real boy.” She sings how we are “all sons of someone” which neutralizes our genders and just places us under the umbrella of mankind or God’s children.
Stay tuned for her new album coming out this spring (hopefully)!
Peaches
Peaches is a super cool, empowered, bisexual woman. She has a mullet and wears both masculine and feminine clothing in equal parts. Also, she likes her glitter, sparkles, and googly eyes. She is an arts and crafts club for sexually active grownups. My personal favorite look of hers is an Elvis-like jumpsuit with her mullet and blue eye shadow. She is known for her sexual liberation, and for celebrating all sexes and genders in her lyrics and stage performances. She has one performance on KEXP that features her backup dancers wearing vagina costumes and pretending to masturbate their own costumes! Wild stuff. But, she also pays homage to penises in equal parts with her song “Dick in the Air.” She even has a song called “Boys Wanna Be Her.”
As a Jewish woman, I feel honored that she is also a “member of the tribe.” :)
There are a million more androgynous rock musicians I could profile, but it would take me a million years to list them all… So, I hope that this list helps get you started with smashing the gender binary, one song at a time.