A while back, I had a conversation with my sister about women in music. For context, I was taking a history of rock and roll class and was focusing on some of the big-name bands that are remembered for changing the music industry and how we remember “vintage” music.
Names like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix were some that came up in conversation, and my sister and I realized that, while we both could easily count on our fingers and toes the names of male artists and bands throughout the genres of folk, rock, and pop, it was harder to name many other female artists whose names were just as big.
I then made it my personal mission to search out and find those incredible women in the music industry and dominate my listening with more female artists and bands. Now, a few years later, I have so many favorite women in music that even narrowing down to a short list of favorites was next to impossible. Here are some of my current favorite women in modern-day music!!
Gigi Perez
My first one is the explosive Gigi Perez. Her name first started circling the industry back in 2021 with her song “Sometimes (Backwood),” but then completely dominated TikTok with her powerful love ballad “Sailor Song” last year in 2024. Her vocal range is absolutely astounding and even tricked some people (including myself) into thinking it was a male voice singing. Her rise in popularity is incredibly deserving, as she not only writes some of the most beautiful sapphic folk music that has come through the pop charts but has written some of the most incredible uses of poetry that I’ve seen. If I had to pick my top three favorites of hers, they would be her songs “Please Be Rude,” “Normalcy,” and “Fable.”
Phoebe Bridgers
This list wouldn’t even be a list without the queen and mother herself Phoebe Bridgers. I discovered Phoebe back around 2020 with her hit songs “Motion Sickness” and “Kyoto,” but then completely fell in love with her music throughout my years in high school. She has since had other songs go viral through social media such as “Scott Street” and “Waiting Room,” but either way, her raw and powerful use of poetry and emotion will always leave me in shambles. She has been such a powerhouse for modern indie and folk women in music, and truly an all-time favorite of mine. I don’t know that I can even narrow my favorites of hers down to three, but if I had to try, they would be “Funeral,” “Moon Song,” and “I Know the End.”
Eliza McLamb
My severely underground pick for this list has to be the incredible Eliza McLamb. Her first single “Ghosts” was released in 2020, and her only album “Going Through It” was just released in 2024. Eliza’s use of femininity in her music to touch on and describe her experiences is something that will always stick out to me and move me. I adore her use of indie rock and bedroom pop to create a beautifully unique sound that is so incredibly endearing and full of charm. My top three songs of hers would have to be “Mythologize Me,” “Playhouse,” and “Pulp.”
Alice Phoebe Lou
I will never forget the night I discovered Alice Phoebe Lou on a late-night drive in the rain with a dear old friend from high school. She had told me about this incredible singer and proceeded to play me the live version of her song “New Song,” and hearing the raw, guttural strain of her vocals sent shivers down my spine. She uses such a dreamy and almost hypnotic sound in her music, yet when stripped down, it has some of the most incredible vocals you’ll hear. She will always be a fan favorite for me when it comes to women in music. My top three favorites of hers would have to be “Glow,” “Witches,” and “New Song.”
Indigo de Souza
Another underappreciated woman in alternative rock would be the incredible Indigo de Souza. Although, if I had to guess, I would say all it would take is for one of her songs to blow up on TikTok slightly and she would explode. Her use of experimental, almost hippie, rock and electronic sounds blends together so nicely for the perfect late summer soundtrack. She even uses these heavy sounds to coincide incredibly well with her angry, passionate lyrics about her lived experiences. Narrowing down my top three is difficult, but I’d say they would probably be “Time Back,” “Take Off Your Pants,” and “Good Heart.”
Clairo
One of the most iconic and influential artists in the indie rock, bedroom pop, and folk genres, Clairo has been a long-lasting name amongst indie music fans for years. The start of her career began with her first hits, “Pretty Girl” and “Flaming Hot Cheetos,” which exploded with TikTok during the quarantine VSCO girl era and has since matured into a beautiful blend of folk, jazz, and indie. She has even been featured with many, many different popular artists, such as Wallows, Beabadobee, and Charli XCX. I had been listening to Clairo lightly since around the time of 2020 but hadn’t really gotten too into her music until recently with her latest album, “Charm.” Even though it’s probably impossible to name only three favorites of hers, I’d say if I had to choose, they’d be “Bags,” “Alewife,” and “Zinnias.”
Even though I’m leaving out an immense number of other women who have stolen my heart in the music industry, I feel that I have, to an extent, completed my mission of discovering more and more powerful women in all genres of music. So, much of the history of music was written and produced by women of all kinds, and yet, the men always seem to overshadow and steal their victories. Despite this though, women always find a way to come out the other side on top, and my favorite testament to this statement is the past few years of billboard charts. Just in the past year alone, we’ve had women like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Doechii, Beyonce, and more sweeping the charts and awards ceremonies and just proving that no matter what, we are just as incredible as ever.