The 8th March 2022 marks International Women’s Day, which is a day to remember and celebrate the many achievements of women socially, culturally, politically and economically, both past and present. So, what better way to celebrate IWD than to talk about some of the most incredible and influential females to have graced the music industry.
Lizzo
It is undeniable that Lizzo has an incredible talent and can write super catchy tracks with flawless vocals. The Billboard Hot 100 saw Lizzo’s self-love anthem, ‘Truth Hurts’, spend a total of seven non-consecutive weeks at number 1. However, Lizzo has become so much more than her music over the past few years, she’s become a major role model for self-love and body positivity. She is one of the first plus-sized black women to go on stage and share true body confidence through her music, performance and personality, owning who she is and representing everything that a woman should feel about themselves.
Lizzo once said, “If you’re a little girl reading this, look in the mirror and remind yourself that this is who you are and she’s perfect just the way she is. I know it’s cliche, but it’s cliche for a reason: because it’s true.”
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys has openly discussed her experience with sexism within the music industry and has since become a women’s rights activist. The singer was all over the news in 2016 after deciding to give up wearing makeup. She originally went for a ‘no-makeup’ look on a shoot for her new album and then decided to continue her more natural look after realising that the photoshoot was “the strongest, most empowered, most free, and most honestly beautiful that I have ever felt.”
This sparked the #nomakeup movement, which now has over 12 million posts on Instagram. The movement inspires people to be empowered regardless of whether they’re wearing makeup and teaches us that we should acknowledge our natural beauty both inside and out without feeling the need to cover up or hide anything. Beauty standards place huge pressure on women, day in day out so this movement is an inspiring step by a high-profile star.
Beyonce
Beyonce is another female artist who has become the pinnacle of female empowerment. Many of the pop singer’s songs such as ‘Single Ladies’, ‘Best Thing I Never Had’ and ‘Irreplacable’, spread the message that women don’t need men in order to be complete, and that they are enough on their own.
Not only is Beyonce a phenomenal musician, but she is also an incredible entrepreneur. She founded her own record label and production company, Parkwood Entertainment, in 2010 and remains the CEO to this day. She has proved time and time again that as a black woman, she doesn’t need anyone but herself, which is a message we should all listen to.
The global superstar was named ‘The World’s Most Powerful Celebrity’ by Forbes in 2014. She has utilised this power to become a gender equality icon, which she encouraged through he own charity BeyGOOD which offers financial support to those in need.
Beyonce shows her ongoing support for both women’s rights and black rights, all of which can be found on the BeyGood section of her website – https://www.beyonce.com/beygood/
Aretha Franklin
As the first woman conducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha Franklin created a legacy that would last forever, the Queen of Soul. Her musical influence lives on through the likes of Beyonce and Adele.
Her song, ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T’ set the president for the way in which she would conduct herself throughout her life, and this song became an anthem for both civil rights and women’s rights. The song worked to criticise sexist gender roles that have been ever-present in society and started a realisation that women are capable of being successful and powerful and not have to succumb to society’s sexist expectations.
Aretha played a vital role in civil rights activism and was awarded the Southern Christian Leadership Award by Martin Luther King. The Queen of Soul performed at many MLK rallies posted bail for other activists and offered financial support to organisers of the movement.
Her music was incredibly moving, however as she said herself, “Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing, It has much to do with your service to people.”
Madonna
Next up, we have the Queen of Pop. She is said to be one of the most famous female figures to have ever lived, and we can see why.
Madonna has paved the way for independent women, so Beyonce fans and Taylor swift fans have her to thank. She was one of the first pop stars to demonstrate control over her own life and her ‘fierce’ persona opened up doors for other women to express themselves. From her music to her taste in men and her outfits to her stage performances, she was unapologetically herself and embraced who she was regardless of the world’s opinions.
As we see often in society, women are heavily criticised for things that are deemed as ‘the norm’ for men. Madonna stood up against the inequality of sexual expression and used both her music and her personality to fight against the double standards that we face as women. Her song ‘Like a Virgin’ highlighted the expectation on females to appear innocent and suppress their sexuality in a bid to be ‘feminine’ and ‘classy’.
We also have Madonna to thank for the exceptionally flamboyant concert tours we see in modern society. Prior to the Blonde Ambition tour in 1990, concerts were no way near as theatrical as they are now. Set changes and costume changes were unheard of before the Queen of Pop as were very complex dance routines, which of course resulted in the ‘Madonna Microphone’.
Rihanna
Rihanna is often described as the most influential musician of the 21st century. Having won 9 Grammy’s, 12 Billboard Music Awards, 7 MTV Music Video Awards and 13 American Music Awards, this seems like a reasonable claim.
The star has had 14 Billboard No.1’s during her career and was named as one of the most streamed artists on Spotify alongside Drake and Ed Sheeran.
Throughout her career she has gained a reputation for being a fashion icon, always wearing the most eye-catching and outrageous outfits. She pays homage to Madonna when it comes to her fashion inspiration, as she says “I think that Madonna was a great inspiration for me, especially on my earlier work. I think she reinvented her clothing style and music with success every single time.”
Rihanna clearly wanted to make her mark in the fashion/music industry and had a number of successful collections with brands such as Armani and Puma. She then went on to develop her own underwear brand, SavageXFenty, which spreads a message of self-love and body confidence, celebrating womens of all sizes and ethnicities.
However, this isn’t Rihanna’s only brand. ‘Fenty Beauty’, Rihanna’s makeup and now skincare brand, was launched in 2017, with a significant focus on providing makeup for people of colour, an area which has been previously neglected.
International Womens Day 2022
That is just a handful of women who have influenced and inspired the music industry, however of course there are hundreds and thousands more. Happy International Women’s Day to all the fabulous women out there. We salute you!
