Though you may have listened to Lemonade or ANTI on repeat last year, Beyoncé and Rihanna aren’t the only female artists making bold music. Newcomers such as Banks and Halsey are making deep, lyrically-driven alternative music and returning faces such as Lady Gaga and Solange are revamping their image. Here are the albums you should be listening to at the moment.
Banks, The Altar
This follow-up to 2015’s Goddess is full of intelligent lyrics and captivating techno-beats. Lorde even tweeted Banks directly about the brilliance of this album. Check out the track “Weaker Girl” for a subdued, but still badass girl anthem and “Gemini Feed” after a break-up. Brilliant lyric: “And to think you would get me to the altar/ Like I’d follow you around like a dog that needs water/But admit it, you just wanted me smaller/ If you would’ve let me grow you could have kept my love”
Lady Gaga, Joanne
In her latest album (the first in three years), Lady Gaga presents a new type of musicality. The album relies mostly on the emotion and immediacy of Gaga’s voice, and is stylistically diverse. From rock to country, this album has it all. Current hit “Perfect Illusion” and upbeat “John Wayne” are standouts. Brilliant lyric: “Every John is just the same/ I’m sick of their city games/ I crave a real wild man/ I’m strung out on John Wayne”
Solange, A Seat at the Table
Beyoncé’s little sister has made a name for herself with her latest album. With R&B and soulful influences, Solange sings about the realities of being an African-American woman and her own personal experiences. This album is especially relevant and timely, with issues like Black Lives Matter serving as the political backdrop for Solange’s message. Her voice is angelic as she preaches in “F.U.B.U” and “Cranes in the Sky”. Brilliant lyric: “Now I don’t want to bite the hand that’ll show me the other side, No/ But I didn’t want to build the land that has fed you your whole life”
Halsey, Badlands
You may have heard Halsey as the singer on the Chainsmoker’s hit “Closer”, but her own alternative-pop album debuted in 2015. The imagery of her lyrics is especially poignant and speaks to the youthful, feminine experience as well as the creative process. Standout tracks include the euphoric “Colors” and timely “New Americanah”. Brilliant lyric: “I think there is a fault in my code/ These voices won’t leave me alone”