Around this time last year, I realized something tragic: I barely listened to any female artists. I had this realization after I discovered this song that was the where-have-you-been-all-my-life type tune. My ears began craving more female energy and voices, but I realized my playlists contained a significantly small percentage of female-powered tracks. At that moment I made a note to myself to start giving more female artists a chance. The results? Unbelievable. The albums below are by seven amazing ladies that currently have me playing their tracks over and over. Each artist below is truly that, an artist. These talented ladies are making huge strides in the music world and have created and individualized their art. This isn’t a list ranking the albums, but rather it’s a list to celebrate and champion these powerful artists.
1. Lizzo- Cuz I Love You
Courtesy: Genius
What better way to kick off this list than with a powerful artist who easily has one of the most talked-about albums of 2019? It seems Lizzo came from nowhere but is the powerful female figure we all needed. Her song “Truth Hurts” spread like wildfire this year, breaking billboard records after spending weeks at number one. When fans of the song gave her whole album a listen, we knew we were in for a show by just listening to only ten seconds of the first song on the album, “Cuz I Love You”. Lizzo managed to give the album a grand entrance and show off her powerhouse vocals. These vocals shined throughout the rest of the album over songs that blend various genres. Listening to the tracks, one can identify hip-hop, R&B, soul, funk, pop and even rock influences engraved into the album. If there is one thing we know for sure, it’s that Lizzo refuses to be confined into a box by the industry. She successfully shows off all musical sides to herself, all with a confidence level of 1000. Looking past the variety of catchy beats and powerhouse vocals, the lyrics offer the kind of self-love we all need. Lizzo is self-aware of her talents and isn’t afraid to flaunt them in this album. Listening to this collection of songs serves as a reminder that we all should be unafraid to be our authentic, lady-boss selves.
2. Grimes- Art Angels
Courtesy: 4AD
Apple Music labels Grimes’ 2015 Art Angels as electronic, but this album is WAY more than that. She perfectly merges house and pop together, singing with her entrancing high-pitched voice over catchy pop beats, while remaining innovative with her experimental sound. Grimes’ new wave quality in these tracks is the perfect equation to appeal to everyone. “REALiTi” and “California” are perfect for easy-pop listening, while tracks like “Kill V. Maim” and “Flesh without Blood” dive us right into the fast-paced party. If there is one word to describe this album it’s PARTY. The accomplishment of this album is similar to that of the iconic Studio 54. Every type of individual who may be a misfit outside of the party, coming together for one goal in mind: to dance the night away. It’s the place everyone wants to be at and gives Grimes the cool-girl look that she doesn’t care to achieve. With J-Pop influences, edgy screams and girly pop sounds, Art Angels is a work of art that still has that fun impact four years later.
3. Kacey Musgraves- Golden Hour
Courtesy: Amazon
Golden Hour was the critically acclaimed album of 2018, snagging Album of the Year at the Grammys. Musgraves manages to break the mold of country music by incorporating disco influences in songs like “High Horse” and “Velvet Elvis” while remaining true to the pure quality and storytelling country roots in songs such as “Slow Burn” & “Butterflies”. The album, however, offers warm colors and sounds while giving off a dream-like effect. Musgraves’s clear intention was to portray the feeling of falling in love into an album. The name of the album is based on the time of day that offers the warm glow of the sun, giving a golden moment. She compares this moment of the day to the moment of your life when you are falling in love. Musgraves highlights this feeling and the realization of the world’s beauty, by painting a breathtaking landscape in the listener’s mind with her effortless voice. It makes the listener want to dance in a field of flowers, taking in the fresh air.
4. Snail Mail- Lush
Courtesy: Paste Magazine
Snail Mail is the artist name Lindsey Jordan gives herself. Lush is Jordan’s debut album and she far from disappointed. She sings in her adolescent-like voice, over indie-rock sounds with a dash of pop. Throughout the album, she appears to be having a conversation with someone she knows she shouldn’t have but urgently wants. Jordan lays her vulnerability on the table for all to hear and sings with a sense of honesty, accompanied by her rhythmic guitar playing. Lush brings the listener back to the feeling of a teen crush and perhaps even young heartbreak. Her stand out songs are the first three post-intro and lays a perfect bed for the rest of the album. Having written all the lyrics herself, this young artist isn’t afraid to show her feelings which is what brings this album so much success.
5. Sky Ferreira- Night Time, My Time
Courtesy: Consequence of Sound
If you were on Tumblr in 2013, then you know this iconic album. Being her only album, Sky Ferreira gives a glimpse into her musical mind and creates a clear path of the type of pop star she wants to be. This album gives the effect to that of a leather jacket: edgy, cool and carefree. The album takes from various music scenes of the 80s and mashes them all together to make its original sound. Whether it’s the punk, the dance-like pop, or the techno synth, there is a nostalgic sound for everyone here. Ferreira gives herself a cool, grunge girl look who has a lot to say and isn’t afraid to yell it to the sky for everyone to hear. The one, defining quality of all the tracks is the way they all have that anthem-like sound that rallies people together, especially in the hit “You’re Not the One”. So, grab your best girlfriends, turn up the volume, roll down the window and take that fast, late-night drive to nowhere and sing along at the top of your lungs.
6. Girl in Red- Chapter 1 & Chapter 2
Courtesy: Genius
Girl in Red is the bedroom creation of the openly gay Norwegian singer, Marie Ulven. The two EPs are her debut to the world. Both discuss the beautiful feeling of falling in love, but also the complexities of the situation. Ulven contributes the inspiration for the tracks to a very real situation she experienced, falling for a close straight friend. We experience the type of love the artist felt in songs such as “watch you sleep.”, “i wanna be your girlfriend” and “say anything”. These songs range from a slow-delicate observation of the beauty of the one you love to the upbeat dream-like pop to portray the excitement of a deep crush. However, other songs delve into the raw emotions of knowing that the relationship you want so badly is unattainable. The listener can feel Ulven’s self-loathing experiences as she tries to combat her feelings in tracks such as “i need to be alone.”, “summer depression” and “bad idea!” The songs depressive, tough lyrics are disguised by catchy guitar strums, riffs and Ulven’s pleasant-to-the-ear melodies sung by her pretty, honest voice. To be able to portray exactly what you’re feeling through songs is a gift and this singer not only accomplishes this but she also masters it to give the most intimate group of songs to the world.
7. Lana Del Rey- Norman F*****g Rockwell
Courtesy: Pitchfork
For her sixth album, Lana Del Rey once again shuffled through her bag of personas to deliver her ever-evolving sound and produce a work of art. This album gives the effect of a painting come to life or a cinematic masterpiece, with just sound. This album feels more mature than her past works, but still grasping onto her signature wit and satire. Del Rey’s ethereal voice is front and center in this album as it’s accompanied by plenty of pianos, guitars, strings and subtle hip hop beats. The delivery of her performance is nothing short of dramatic. She delivers the drama of a movie through her angelic voice while keeping the instrumentals simpler than her past works. Warm colors radiate through the songs as Del Rey delivers her popular west coast sound while discussing the sense of longing for an old feeling and the past. As the listeners, we travel through this story and end up finding the sound of hope along the way as it ends with the song “Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman like Me to Have-but I Have It”. This album is about moments, with each song having their own and with Del Rey getting lost in the moments of the music.
With a range of genres, these ladies make their art their own, separating themselves from the mainstream. It’s hard to not appreciate creativity and art, which is why these albums are currently on repeat in my playlists. I suggest giving them a listen, you might find your next favorite female-powered album.
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