International Women’s Day | Celebrating the Women in Music

In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8th March, Empoword Journalism contributors Imy, Shannon and Vicky have written about some of their favourite female musicians. So, check out their recommendations for the female musicians who should be sitting high up your girl power playlist this IWD.

Orla Gartland

Orla Gartland is a 26-year-old Irish singer-songwriter with roots in folk-pop and the British YouTube scene. Born in Dublin in 1995, she started performing in 2007 and plays the guitar, the ukulele, the piano and she sings. She has a devoted and interested following, and her Patreon is home to her popular Secret Demo Club; a community of people who get a first look at what she has coming up. Her career took off through YouTube videos of her performing and supporting Nina Nesbitt at Bewley’s Cafe Theatre. A close friend of Dodie Clark and Lauren Aquilina, she became immersed in the UK indie music scene, supporting Dodie on tour. Since the release of her first EP Roots in 2013, she has grown hugely in popularity and one of her recent songs was used on a BBC advert for its hit show Normal People. She was touring up to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic with up and coming singers like Polly Money supporting her as she played venues big and small across the UK. 

“Orla’s songwriting is honest and brave, with realities sewn throughout the rich texture of her music.”

Orla is a very honest and genuine presence online and goes out of her way to find ways to encourage her fans to stay involved in her music. She hosted several live streams over the first lockdown, including one for charity where thousands of pounds were raised. Her songwriting is honest and brave, with realities sewn throughout the rich texture of her music. Her latest release was an emotive and engaging song called “More Like You” and her most recent EP was titled Freckle Season. Her first album is in the works, and I hope a sell-out tour will follow. 

Dolly Parton

Dolly Rebecca Parton is a country music legend and pop culture icon. Raised in the hill country of Tennessee, in a home full of brothers and sisters, she had an idyllic but tough country childhood. Her father was illiterate, but according to Dolly he was “the smartest man I knew”, and he worked for many years in the tobacco world. Dolly moved to country music paradise, Nashville just one day after she graduated from High School and her career was beginning. Raised on Smoky Mountain folklore and bluegrass, Parton is a multi-instrumentalist and talented singer, songwriter and yodeller. She went on to replace singer Norma Jean on Porter Wagoner’s show in 1967. Many of his fans were displeased by her high singing voice, but once they came around, Wagoner encouraged his label RCA Victor to take her on. Well, they did, and her first song released under them was the before-its-time feminist song “Just Because I’m A Woman”.

“Dolly has now written over 3000 songs in her life, released 47 solo albums, and starred in films”

Despite popular rumour, her most famous song “I Will Always Love You” was not written about her husband Carl Thomas Dean, who she married in 1965 and is still with today. It was a love song and thank you letter to Porter Wagoner when she left his show and moved on to what can only be described as far bigger and better things. She has now written over 3000 songs in her life, she has released 47 solo albums, starred in films like 9 to 5 alongside Jane Fonda, been in Hannah Montana, opened a theme park, conducted vital charity work, produced hit film Dumplin’, written musicals, headlined Glastonbury, written books, released cookware and donated millions of pounds to find a Covid-19 vaccine. She has now had her vaccine and all I can say is long live Dolly Parton. We hope to see this iconic, kind and immensely talented woman back in The Ole Opry as soon as possible. 

Imy Brighty-Potts

 

Greentea Peng

London-born neo-soul singer-songwriter Aria Wells, AKA Greentea Peng, started making waves in the music scene in 2019, and ever since she’s amassed crowds at her sell-out shows. Listeners can hear her self-described psychedelic R&B sound most vividly in her track “Downers”. This song begins with North African guitar strings that welcome Greentea’s vocals as she sings about the all-consuming feelings of sadness that follow hedonistic experiences. While in “Mr. Sun (miss da sun)”, a deeply nostalgic song that conjures the image of blissful summer days, Greentea Peng sings about her desire to reclaim back the positive energy she’s lost through the moments of self-indulgence discussed in “Downers”, such as “Mr Sun, I need you / I’m only happy with you”.

“her songs are authentic vignettes of the struggles of inner-city London life”

The singer also pens songs that carry political messages. In “Ghost Town”, the songstress performs an ode to her beloved London—a city that is unrecognizable since corruptive government actions have allowed gentrification to occur, ripping communities apart and leaving London a shell of its former self—a city now infected with ghosts. Despite all this, she insists, “you can’t take my city from me”—emphasising her deep roots and connection with the metropolis.

These honest, bold and deeply personal tracks showcase Greentea Peng’s storytelling talents. She’s unafraid to unsettle the status quo – openly discussing drug-taking habits, her mental health, and the impact of governmental neglect. As a result, her songs are authentic vignettes of the struggles of inner-city London life, with Greentea Peng using her platform to amplify the issues which plague 21st-century society.

 Janelle Monáe

Kansas-city born Janelle Monáe is one of the most talented musicians out there. Not only is she a triple-threat—a singer, dancer, and actor—but she’s also an advocate for LGBTQ+ issues and civil rights. She fiercely interrogates racial injustices in America through jumpy, energetic, pop tracks such as “Turntables”—a track which conveys a hopeful message, with Monáe calling for “liberation, elevation, and education” as a means of “kicking out the old regime”.

“Monáe proves just how talented she is at covering critical social issues through fun, catchy, feel-good grooves”

While in arguably one of her most famous tracks, “Tightrope”, Monae showcases her performative talents—using the metaphor of the “tightrope” to illustrate the empowering impact of finding balance in life. In “Pynk”, Monáe celebrates female sexuality and women’s bodies, highlighting the true depths of “pussy power”. The track also points out the colour pink’s unifying potential, using lyrics like “pink when you’re blushing inside […] pink like the folds of your brain” to emphasize the similarities between humanity, irrespective of gender, class, or race.

Monáe’s versatility as a performer is unparalleled—however, the celebratory feel of all her tracks connects her various songs, regardless of the topics they discuss. She recognises humans’ potential to “turn the tables” on systemic racism while urging women to embrace their bodies and pink parts in other tracks. Through these songs, Monáe proves just how talented she is at covering critical social issues through fun, catchy, feel-good grooves, always leaving a lasting impression on the listener.

Shannon Cook

 

Lady Gaga

“Each of her albums has proven her to be a gamechanger in the music industry”

We all know the legend that is Lady Gaga. Endlessly talented as a musician, performer and actress, it seems like there’s nothing she can’t do. Her activism is also a significant part of her artistry. Her Born This Way Foundation strives to empower young people by supporting mental health organisations, AIDS foundations and the Red Cross, to name just a few. She has always stood up for the LGBTQ+ community, both within her music and in her charitable work.

Each of her albums has proven her to be a gamechanger in the music industry, constantly creating and redefining popular trends. From her very first album, it was obvious that she was going to be a star, and she’s exceeded everyone’s expectations of what it means to be a celebrity today. It’s always a joy to look forward to whatever project she’s working on next!

Hayley Kiyoko

Hayley Kiyoko is a gamechanger in modern pop music. Dubbed “Lesbian Jesus” by her adoring fans, Kiyoko made waves in the pop music industry when she sang candidly about her sexuality in 2015’s “Girls Like Girls”. Until then, she had kept quiet about her personal life in her music as she struggled to be open in her career, but her openness resonated with fans across the world.

“78 bras were thrown onto the stage by the audience over the course of Hayley Kiyoko’s tour, and she donated all of them to charity”

Now, she uses her platform to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues, partnering with a number of organisations to raise money for charities like the Los Angeles LGBT Centre and dedicating her win to queer women of colour like herself. My favourite story about Hayley Kiyoko comes from her Expectations tour: 78 bras were thrown onto the stage by the audience over the course of the tour, and she donated all of them to I Support The Girls, an organisation helping homeless women across the US.

Vicky Greer

 

Featured image courtesy of Matthias_Groeneveld on Pixabay. Image licence can be found here. No changes were made to this image.