Hey everyone!
Women’s history month is drawing to a close and we thought it would be a good idea to have a blog, where some of the Community members take a moment to highlight some female artists that have played an important role in our music listening lives.
I’ll present to you parts of the discussion we had about our fave artists and a playlist that we created to celebrate the singing ladies we love. Together with that I hope I’ll be able to include some interesting facts about the musicians and their role in the industry as well. Let's jump right into it!
Did you know that Lady Gaga was the first person to win an Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe and a BAFTA award in one year? Most of the participants in our discussion didn't either 😄
It’s incredibly important to have such a strong representation of talented women in the media to inspire others to pursue their dreams and solidify women's position as strong players on the scene.
For example, when I was thinking about the artist I’d pick as ‘’the one’’ - Lady Gaga popped up in my mind immediately. I chose ‘’Born this way’’ from her discography.
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I think it’s one of the more representative songs for her and it has united so many people from different backgrounds under the motto of love, solidarity and acceptance. Lady Gaga has also founded a non-profit organization with the same name to help the mental health and wellness of young people.
Another musical activist was also named in our discussion - Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier better known as Chris from Christine and the Queens. She was ranked number 1 in Vanity Fair's list of the most powerful and influential French people who “promote French genius”. Our Rock Star @Hubo said that her music has left a great impression on him. He chose her song Tilted that has both an English and a French version.
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Next we have @Emil who sneaked in 2 artists in his choice because it was too hard to pick just one. (Don’t we all relate to that :D) His first pick was Imogen Heap with a song from her project Frou Frou.
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He’s been a fan of hers for a long time and even has her CDs. Her musical career is super varied, including developing a line of musical gloves and composing the music for the West End/Broadway play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
His second choice is LP - an artist he found recently when he saw them live a couple years back. The chosen song is Lost on you.
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LP is not only a great singer but a songwriter for many famous artists. They have written songs for Cher, Rihanna, the Backstreet Boys, Leona Lewis, Céline Dion and Christina Aguilera.
And while we’re talking about artists that left a big mark on the music scene, I need to mention @Ivan’s pick - Björk. He says that the Icelander is one of the female artists that influenced the formation of his music taste since his early teenage years. At the time he was fascinated by her eclectic means of expression and the visual art in the videos and performances. Her artistry is abstract and often perceived as weird, but she definitely can be called an influential artist in every sense of the word.
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It’s time to mention some ladies who have played an instrumental role in establishing the place of women in music and culture as we know it today. I am talking about none other than the disco queens Gloria Gaynor and Grace Jones who were @Xenia’s picks. She chose the songs I will survive and Libertango. In her own words - such timeless classics and I absolutely adore the songs.
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Doing a 180 degree turn in our timeline we can talk about @Billy-J’s pick which was Billie Eilish’s Everything I wanted.
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He said that he loves the lyrics and the vibe of her tunes. As most of us, he also fell in love with her with the song Ocean eyes. Billie is the youngest person to win the four main Grammy categories—Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year—in the same year.
Another young artist is @MattSuda's pick - Bea Miller. She came to fame from the second season of The X Factor (US) when she was only 13 years old. As Matt put it very well - her lyrics speak for themselves, Bea is not afraid to say what’s on her mind. The song chosen was Repercussions.
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@Jose_M’s pick is Jess Glynne with These days.
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He discovered her music a few years ago and the songs have been with him ever since. The British singer has been considered one of the "Most Influential People Under 30" by Forbes magazine in 2019.
@Katerina's choice brought us all the way back to 2007 when it was raining all summer 😄 Or maybe it was just Rihanna’s song Umbrella that was on the radio 24/7.
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Rihanna has 9 Grammy Awards, 13 American Music Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards, and 6 Guinness World Records. Need I say more?
Then we have @Loneliest_Cabin's pick who is Róisín Murphy with her song from her Moloko days - Time is now.
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Róisín has stated that her biggest influences were Siouxsie Sioux, Grace Jones and Björk. Which once again comes to show how important female representation in music is and how even without realizing it our music tastes are intertwined.
And what is a music list of powerful ladies in music without mentioning a woman in the heavier genres? This is where @AdamDamon presented his fave band with a female front - Acid King - Electric Machine.
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He’s right that there aren't many stoner metal bands with a female lead, but Lori S. is definitely known for hypnotic vocals and heavy, low ended guitar sound.
To wrap things up, I wanted to present you with the playlist we created with the team which includes the songs above and other tracks that have had an impact on us and on the music scene as a whole. Hope you enjoy it!
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Now it’s your turn to share with us your favorite songs from female artists! We’d be happy to expand our knowledge and enjoy some awesome tracks.
