When I was a little girl, I was always exposed to music. Even if it was just my mom’s CDs playing, or eventually, lyric videos on YouTube, there was always music playing around me. However, not every artist left the same impact on me.
Some artists were so influential that when I look back at a certain year in my life, I think of their music. Seeing as they were my favorites, and it is International Women’s Month, I decided to make a small list of some of the ladies that made my childhood rock.
- Belinda
-
To put it simply: Belinda ruled my childhood. I owned her CDs, I had a doll that sang one of her songs, I imitated her trademark hairstyle, and I even wanted to be a singer because of her. While she might not be super known to you, this Mexican singer gave me so much joy through her songs. Her self-titled album Belinda is still one of the best albums I’ve heard. It has 13 songs, and I like all 13. From soft ballads like “No Entiendo” and “Princesa,” to rock-like beats like “Boba Niña Nice,” this album was my perfect playlist. She also released three more albums: Utopía, Carpe Diem and Catarsis. While her newer stuff doesn’t resonate with me as much, her earlier works are simply some of the best for me.
- Madonna
-
As I grew up, I later found out Madonna had been a controversial figure, but when I was six years old, all I knew was that “La Isla Bonita” was a good song. Most people would associate Madonna with the ’80s, and to be fair, I do too. Songs like “Into the Groove,” “Like a Virgin” and “Vogue” are some of her biggest hits. However, since I “discovered” her in the mid-2000s, I like a few of her more underrated songs, such as “Get Together,” “Jump,” “Sorry,” and “Love Profusion.” All of these also have very fun music videos, by the way.
- Cascada
-
POV: it’s 2008 and you’re on YouTube. You watch Anime Music Videos, or AMVs. Regardless of the anime, they all have at least one to the tune of “Everytime We Touch,” because Cascada basically ruled YouTube (more specifically, the vocalist, Natalie Horler). For some reason, her music was the theme of so many videos featuring animation, which was what I watched when I was seven. Songs like “Bad Boy,” “Miracle,” and “Ready or Not” were among my favorites — their catchy, techno sounds made them the perfect beat to get down and dance. Cascada also gets bonus points from me, because her songs always remind me of happy memories, and I think that’s why I love her music so much.
- Shakira
-
Shakira was probably one of the first artists I listened to, and to be honest, it’s totally worth it. While she is most known for songs like “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Waka Waka,” which are absolute hits, I listened to older songs, from her album ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? It featured a lot of soft ballads like “Inevitable,” but it also has faster-paced tracks like “Ciega, Sordomuda.” I personally prefer her songs in Spanish, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate some of her songs in English, like “She Wolf” and “Whenever, Wherever.”
- 2NE1
-
This list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t include 2NE1, the girl group that made me discover K-Pop. The group, composed of CL, Minzy, Dara and Bom, was one of the biggest hits in Korean music, and it’s not hard to see why — their music was different than a lot of other groups from the same time period, and they were incredibly versatile, both vocally and visually. This is seen across music videos like “Fire,” “Clap Your Hands,” and “I Am the Best.” Their voices, along with their dancing, made for a stunning performance worth watching. Sadly, the group was disbanded in 2017, with their last single being titled “Goodbye.”
While you may not have known all of these artists, they personally had a great impact on my life, and even in their own niches within the music industry. Each, in their own way, knew how to leave a mark.