SUBLIMINAL SEXISM IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

A sociological and psychological examination of how two of the music industry's biggest and most profitable genres contribute to the gender gap

In an interesting debate over class/politics/gender with a friend of mine (send him twitter hate), he made the following rhetoric: "Like its not sexist that the rock industry is dominated by males and pop industry is dominated by females?". This was interesting because it opened up a new perspective. We've all heard a lot about the fact that the industry is sexist - women as a whole have experienced moments were they aren't treated as serious musicians, but as pop puppets in the male game, etc. - however, through inclusive probing (scanning the web, looking at statistics, reading the opinions of others) I've theorised a possible explanation for why the industry is so rooted in sexism (besides from - but not excluding - the obvious existence of the capitalist patriarchy).

EOIN LOVELESS OF DRENGE: no girls allowed?
(photo creds: NME)

If you turn a blind eye and look at the side of the argument where the industry can be perceived as non-sexist, the difference in genres could be down to the biological difference between the sexes. Men are typically physically stronger, women are typically more empathetic. Solid fact. Therefore, it can be seen that the sexes have separated themselves into genres in which they thrive in due to their alternative biological wiring. Extensive research by scientists and psychologists alike have found key differences in men and women that suggest that we were born to be different. For example, Dutch studies on transgender and cisgender individuals in the late 1990s discovered that the size of the BSTc (bed nucleus of the stria terminalis), which is located in the thalamus of the brain, correlates with preferred sex rather than biological sex. This is one of the many pieces of research which defines just how men and women think differently - and are therefore fundamentally separate. Our brains are built differently and are zapping with different kinds of hormones. But how does this apply to our taste in music and preferences for different genres?

This study, and many others that consider the differences in male and female brains, would suggest that its highly possible that men dominate rock and women dominate pop because of our integral human diversities. But still, how would this explain why Royal Blood have female fans or why your mate Tom bought the Lorde record? Here the argument falls flat, and we are back to arguing the case in favour of sexism in music.

The biggest selling music act of all time is The Beatles. John, Paul, George, and Ringo changed music forever following the release of their debut 1962 single Love Me Do. The Liverpudlian quartet would go down in history as four of the most influential individuals of the Twentieth Century, but why is this? Probably because of the magic of the Lennon/McCartney writing duo and their consequent success following the band's demise, but Beatlemania would become way more significant than they had ever predicted. For reasons that have puzzled scholars and remain largely ambiguous, four working class boys from the North sent teenage girls across the world into a heightened frenzy. Beatlemania was a phenomenon never seen before. The Beatles were an important watershed in showing the big bosses just how many bucks they could make if they marketed acts to the right audience.

Henceforth follows the next fifty years in music when the ability to correctly market an act to an audience became one of the most successful ways to sell records. Of course, not all big artists sold because of marketability - take acts such as Pink Floyd, Whitney Houston, Fleetwood Mac, Jay-Z etc; covering a wide range of genres and line-ups, it's undeniably clear that merit and skill also churns out success. However, if we specifically examine other million-selling artists (particularly those from the 21st century) such as Rihanna, Katy Perry et al we can recognise similarities in marketability traits. Not to say these ladies should be diminished of their talent because they've proved to marketable, however their ability to be sold to the public as a product is of note.

MILEY CYRUS: is her sexuality the extent of her male appeal?
(photo creds: idolator)

Since the beginning of the media world we live in, the deprecation of women has been an essential factor in selling products. Unfortunately, as a woman, you are likely to have been socialised to be belittled since before you could talk, walk, or think for yourself. The media has used this belittlement to its advantage and so played on the universal insecurities which women suffer from in order to sell products. This works especially in cosmetic products, but can also be applied to fashion, food, and - in this case - the records we purchase. This means that females are more impressionable, simply because we've been socialised to believe that we can always be better than what we are. L'Oreal does this when they want you to buy their latest celebrity endorsed product, as do a multitude of other major corporations who cater to the female market.

This means that young girls can be easily sold to the pop star façade. Figureheads in pop are a model for girls to imitate. When males see a female pop star they don't think "hey, she's hot and a talented musician - I'm going to buy her single on iTunes"; they're more likely to think "hey, she's hot and a talented musician - she's one for the wank bank!". On the other hand, the manipulation of a young woman's psyche can lead her to think "hey, she's hot and a talented musician - what's her secret? How is she so goddess-like? Maybe if I buy her record, I can be like her. Maybe then I'll appeal to males too."

BRUNO MARS: one of the biggest pop stars
of the last five years
(photo creds: Us Weekly)

This works too with the boyband phemoneon. It's been happening since, what seems like, the beginning of time with groups from The Monkees to N*Sync, but the most recent and relevant example is, of course, One Direction. The British group are five attractive, wholesome, boy-next-door types and have been manufactured in order to centre their marketability on making them accessible to their audience. Songs like What Makes You Beautiful aren't just catchy pop classics, but tools to lure in their audience and make their listeners believe that they could be singing to them, triggering fantasies about being the one who makes Zayn Malik overwhelmed. Pop music is, therefore, female-orientated and relies heavily on feminine ideals and aspirations in order to appeal not just to the people who enjoy a well-written Mariah Carey track, but also to the vulnerable who have been manipulated by the pop star smoke screen. This is one of the many reasons why pop music succeeds. (Again, I do not disregard the genuine talent and star power of the majority of pop musicians. I am not destroying pop - it is a fantastic, innovative, and zesty genre - but, like all systems in society, it has its major flaws.)

'Pop' isn't just a fizzing burst of energy - it is also a contraction of 'popular'. Pop is the mainstream. Therefore rock - or alternative - acts as a counter-movement to the revolution of pop music. Therefore, it's an alternative to pretty boys in suits - though, being real, rock music is not shy of them - and big budget arena showdowns. Alt seeks to be the polar opposite of pop, though the lines are becoming more and more blurred as the genre is slowly being embraced, by creating a genre which encircles male interests by pushing out the females. Males dominate the genre because it's a territory they believe to have acquired. Not only does this lock out a lot of passionate female acts, but it ostracises female fans as it means they're not taken seriously as ardent music lovers.

CHERRY GLAZERR: women who rock
(photo creds: LA Record)

Girls are made fun of for screaming at concerts (which, okay, is extremely irritating and uncomfortable for those surrounding them, but it's all just a bit of fun) or for worshipping their favourite band (which Jack Black TOLD. US. TO. DO), but no one bats an eyelid at the "spirited" fans of sports teams who literally riot when their teams lose...They resort to actual violence over something that has no importance after the season finishes. Yet teenage girls at Justin Bieber concerts are 'sad' and 'pathetic'. Regardless of your opinion of the Biebs, is this not misogyny at its finest? And yet, I have met boys who've acted with surprise at the fact that I love Foo Fighters. Am I not allowed to because societal standards dictate that my gender means I've crossed into the wrong territory? Gender doesn't dictate where your music preferences lie. I simultaneously enjoy the tunes churned out by Taylor Swift and by The Cibs, and I don't see the problem.

I leave you with the following quote. Unfortunately, I don't know the source as I found it on Tumblr but I hope that it makes you think about the impact of socialisation on young girls and in the media in which we consume:

"There’s still very much this stereotype that teenage girls are not serious consumers of music, even though they are the number one purchasers of music. Teenage girls are the number one consumers of music, they are the number one drivers of taste, and yet they are still not considered serious music fans." (x)

READ MY PREVIOUS POSTS ON FEMINISM-RELATED ISSUES (I promise one day that I'll write something that's more important than Western white feminism, just give me a couple o' trys)

• feminism for beginners (march 2014)
• gig groping: the philosophy of ask the cutie before you touch the booty (november 2014)
• international women's day mixtape (march 2015)

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY MIXTAPE

"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass." - Maya Angelou

LISTEN TO THE PLAYLIST //HERE//

Today - 8th March 2015 - is International Women's Day. Though we should be celebrating the achievements of phenomenal women everyday - no matter how small or how large - today we truly appreciate womanhood. From Malala Youzafi to your local community women's centres, the past 12 months have caused for a lot of praise for the work of women across the globe who are slowly but surely pushing oppression out and bringing equality in. This International Women's Day prioritise women of colour, women being murdered or mutilated for their right to say no, transsexual women, poor women, etc. Look beyond what these women can do for your feminism, but what your feminism can do for these women. This playlist complies songs by artists who highlight the importance of women, despite what the patriarchy tells us we are, and though it's largely focused on Western ideals, this International Women's Day I think we must look beyond the problems in our own society and into the ones of those littered with women without privilege, and therefore, without a voice. Just think about that.

(this post comes one year on from my 'feminism for beginners' post. the response i got from that was overwhelming, and over 400 views in 365 days may not seem like a lot to some but to me, wowee. thank u billion upon billions)

1. Nicki's verse from Monster

Nicki Minaj is one of pop culture's finest feminist role models. She consistently speaks out about the importance of education, women owning themselves and their sexuality in the way that men do, and rightly identifies herself as a rapper - she does not degrade herself to be categorised as a female rapper. This doesn't mean she believes to be female is dehumanising in any shape or form - she's proud to be a woman - however she fully realises that she is at the top of her game and is on par with, if not better than, the top male rappers in hip-hop. As a guest speaker at Oxford University last week, Kanye West admitted that he was destroyed by Nicki in his own song. It's the subject of countless of internet memes, and now it will go down as history as the moment when Kanye's ego was finally murked. He met his match, and I bet he never thought it'd be a woman.

TOP EMPOWERMENT MOMENT: you can be the king but watch the queen conquer. Your successes and accomplishments should not be devalued because of your gender. You should not be placed into a category of 'female excellence' as opposed to simply 'excellence'. It's patronising and ridiculous, doing nothing but further increasing the gender gap, suggesting that women cannot even fathom to reach the standards of men. Sometimes girls are better than boys, and that's a fact of life that needs to be recognised.

2. ***Flawless (feat. Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche) - Beyoncé

As the pinnacle of feminist pop, Beyoncé inspired thousands following her 2014 VMA performance in which she stood firm and proud before the word 'FEMINIST' to promote the 21st century makeover of the movement. The music industry is among the most misogynistic (and, unfortunately, most influential) industries in the world, so this was a huge turning point in the movement's perception in pop culture. Women in music are highly undervalued (for instance, out of the 2015 BRIT Award winners, the only female winners were those nominated in female-specific categories) despite being equally, if not more, successful than their male counterparts. Taylor sold the most albums worldwide last year, Nicki broke countless rap records, and Beyoncé continued to sell out venues across the world, so why are the music industry so reluctant to give women in music praise for their excellence? Regardless of a stuffy corporate male's opinion, we salute you, Bey - thanks for all you have done to promote women's interests.

TOP EMPOWERMENT MOMENT: the sample speech from acclaimed Nigerian writer and social justice fighter Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche. The entire prose piece is ground-breaking but the lines that deliver the most impact are the opening ones - we teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. It's important that, in the future, we refuse to socialise girls in a way that makes them think of themselves as anything but a force of nature.

3. Bros - Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice are the female-fronted act of the year, and - though it should be shocking, but is rather unsurprising - one of only ten female artists booked to perform along with hundreds of other acts at this year's Reading and Leeds Festival. This means there will be only twenty female performances across the two sites over the August bank holiday weekend. Again, this highlights just how much sexism there is in the music industry. It is not entirely the fault of festival organisers, but more of the problem of lack of female role models in rock/indie/alt etc, despite research showing that females are the largest drivers of taste - they decide what is popular and relevant but are under-represented in terms of those who are actually making the music. This festival season is a chance for people like Wolf Alice wonder woman Ellie Rowsell to inspire and encourage the industry to take female acts more seriously.

TOP EMPOWERMENT MOMENT: it may be called Bros, but this song is about nothing but the power of female friendship - me and you / we can do whatever / I'm quite sure. Just because you were born undervalued in the eyes of the patriarchy, doesn't mean you should settle for anything less than incredible things - you were not meant for mediocrity.

4. My Song 5 - HAIM

Whoever says women have no place in rock have clearly never been to a HAIM concert, because they truly put female rock on the map. You better take them seriously, else they'll kick your ass. The GRAMMY-nominated sister trio vibe harder than most bands out there, blowing all competition (male or female) out of the water. Any frontman would find themselves breaking a sweat in a jam session with lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Danielle, but all three are at an equilibrium in performance level and songwriting capabilities. Their quick-witted sass and boppy riffs to match has attracted the attention of critics, an army of fans, and Stevie Nicks, proving that they've dominated a genre that usually suppresses women from succeeding in. Plus My Song 5 has a really boss video to match, with appearances from Grimes and Ezra Koenig.

TOP EMPOWERMENT MOMENT: renouncing themselves of all male possession - honey I'm not your honey-pie. You are more than an object of male desires - you are an embodiment of your own aspirations. They are not dictated by patriarchal values or gender barriers. What can you do to defy expectations?

5. After Hours - The Velvet Underground

When you think of The Velvet Underground, you are immediately picture Lou Reed. Or maybe a banana. However, one of the most underrated, badass females in music has to be Velvet Underground's drummer Maureen (aka Moe) Tucker. She admirably taught herself how to play the drums before gaining respect on the 60s New York music scene (which was probably a million times more sexist than it is now) and continues to demand that respect today through her unconventional drumming techniques. Known for her androgynous exterior, she showcases her sugary sweet vocals on After Hours - one of only a small number of songs which Tucker leant her voice to. As The Velvent Underground was released in 1969, this was an early and significant moment for rock music.

TOP EMPOWERMENT MOMENT: just the fact that someone as amazing as Maureen Tucker exists is empowering in itself. She toured and did studio work while pregnant and with a family; a big fuck you to Nigel Farage's recent comments on Loose Women about how its a "fact of life" that women cannot balance work and family lives and must choose between a career and motherhood. Shoutout to all the incredible working mamas out there, you are loved and you are appreciated.

6. I Will - Sky Ferreira

Ferreira's 2013 debut Night Time, My Time was crafted in electronica-indie heaven, but it was a result of a seven year process which she suffered crippling setbacks and blows to her self-confidence. A year and a bit later, her breakout LP is still as important as it was on its first listen. It's honest and raw, and though still encompassing these elements, I Will is the most brash and outspoken track on the record. Heavy guitars and heavier synths make for blissful levels of female angst. Try screeching along to this when you're drunk.

TOP EMPOWERMENT MOMENT: the entire song is a spicy rebellion about the impossible standards that accompany not only the celebrity persona but also being a woman. It narrates the struggles of female voices being heard among those that deem them to unimportant to listen to. But shout louder, bite back - well it's with me you're messing / I'm gonna teach you a lesson. Be bold and be heard. Forgive me for my misquote, but a famous woman once said something along the lines of "if a man is assertive, he's the boss, but if a woman is assertive, she's a bitch". Defy this, be a hardcore take-no-shit bitch if it means you achieve your dreams and aspirations.

7. I'm A Girl - Peace

This addition is a bit cheeky because, okay, an International Women's Day mixtape should be about celebrating women, but this Peace track - although performed by an all-male line up - celebrates women and femininity. Though we, as humans, should all celebrate each other anyway and shouldn't praise men for appreciating women because that's what they should be doing anyway, it's nice to know that these boys are on our side. As Harry K himself said "sausage rolls: good; gender roles: bad".

TOP EMPOWERMENT MOMENT: a nice renouncement of typical gender expectations for men - the creators of man were calm, kind, and nice / but nature demands / that we fuck, eat, and fire / if you're not macho then try to be funny / if you can't fuck or fight then I hope that you're hungry. An important aspect of feminism is working for equality, and that means dismantling stereotypes that affect both genders. The human race can't achieve equality until we no longer suffer from harmful ideals.

8. Doing It (feat. Rita Ora) - Charli XCX

Pop perfection comes no shinier than in the form of super Brit duo Charli and Rita who undertake Spice Girl levels of girl power in this anthem. Regardless of your opinion of her music, Charli XCX is one of the biggest advocates for female equality in the music industry and has openly spoken out about her distaste for the misogyny in her field of work. Aggressively fun and youthful, it's refreshing to hear something other than a love song by a crooning male or a demeaning piece of crap about booty or some shit on the radio.

TOP EMPOWERMENT MOMENT: the ethos of the song is what stands out most as it's a true celebration of female friendship, showing just what women can do when they put their minds to it. 

9. Feeling Myself (feat. Beyoncé) - Nicki Minaj

No, it's not about masturbation, but does explore an important aspect of female sexuality: identification. Flavoured hot and urban, they are recognising that their greatest weapon is their womanhood. It's something to brag about and they're not shy of it. Yet it's not in a way that they want to brand themselves as "better than" you or I, but in a way that's encouraging taking those key steps to self-love. They have the kind of confidence that we should all aspire to. Destroy the myth that confidence is attractive but cockiness isn't. Who defines where one ends and the other begins? Why is realising your potential anything but an admirable quality?

TOP EMPOWERMENT MOMENT: I stopped the world / male or female / it make no difference / I stop the world - on this International Women's Day, the queens of contemporary pop music want you to step up to the plate and lead your generation. Do something incredible, show-stopping, game-changing that positively influences both your future and the future of those who need it. We, as women, were born to achieve greatness but have spent thousands of years being told we weren't. Stop that motherfucking world.

LISTEN TO THE 8TRACKS PLAYLIST CONTAINING ALL THE TRACKS FROM THIS POST BELOW

international women's day mixtape from sweetlamplight on 8tracks Radio.

Love, Miley, Party // review of the Bangerz Tour - The O2, 6th May

for fans of: Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Iggy Azalea

(photo creds: Evening Standard)

"I'm not going down without a motherfucking fight!" the world's most controversial human, the iridescent Miley Cyrus, screams and solidifies this title as she rockets down a giant tongue slide and reemerges back on the Bangerz Tour. After a health scare last month, which the singer assures the fans was not a drug overdose *phew* and actually due to "bitch ass nurses", the 21-year-old Tennessee native has refused to come back without the biggest spectacle your eyes will ever behold.

Miley's performance followed a set from the ever-cool Californian rocker Sky Ferreira. I was blessed enough to be seeing Sky perform live for the third time lucky that night and, as always, one of the most talented female artists in the game did not disappoint. Though my friends and I were the only ones in our section going absolutely chicken-oriental mental, Sky shined. Despite the dodgy sound technicians and oh-so ironically messing up the start of 'Everything is Embarassing', her performance was collected and enviably chic as she showcased the stand-outs from her acclaimed debut album 'Night Time, My Time' (one of my albums of the year).

As soon as Miss Cyrus burst onto the stage in a hullabaloo, the F-bombs began to fly all over the place. Parents around me looked shocked and disgusted, but how could you be? Reportedly, The O2 has received an ocean of complaints about Bangerz Tour for its profanities and provocative nature. I'm sorry, but what else would you expect from a Miley Cyrus concert? Inevitably, you have seen her infamous antics such as her VMA performance and her array of music videos: Hannah Montana this ain't! That's about as idiotic as me rocking up to Starbucks with a coffee allergy and ordering a latte. Blame yourselves for exposing your children to what you deem as inappropriate instead of pushing the fault onto her for taking this step in her artistry. Besides, have you not listened to her album before you purchased tickets? Obviously the six year old behind me had as she was sassily screaming the lyrics to the Pharrell masterwork '#GETITRIGHT' (I been layin' in this bed / All night long / Don't you think it's time / To get it on?) as Miley was rolling around a bed imitating an orgy. Disturbing on the parent's part, to say the least.

(photo creds: Evening Standard)

Cyrus mixed the trash glam of Rihanna with the less-polished theatrics of Lady Gaga with the crazy cartoonisms of Katy Perry to create chaos. One of the slightly more... eccentric parts of the show was her worshiping and grinding up against a kind of Sphinx-style 30 foot blow up of her dead dog... I mean, that's when it got a bit too weird. Twerking midgets, twerking chickens, a surprisingly little amount of twerking by Miley herself. Bonkerz and utterly insane. Like a carnival on LSD. Her costume game, however, was out in full force: though she pretty much shoved her vagina into the audience's face while riding a ghetto fab gold car during the Hip-Hop jam anthem 'Love, Money, Party', her money-clad leotard was cause for serious envy.

And, honestly? Miley doesn't display the plastic, bonafide transparency that many starlets seem to exude; she has charm and charisma, and her between-song banter is indisputably genuine - even when she was rambling about the health benefits of weed and encouraging the audience to get stoned. Speaking from my own experiences as someone who isn't easily influenced by other and can easily resist peer pressures and such (thanks mum x), I can see how easily impressionable kids could get swayed by these kind of talks and perhaps it's not the greatest thing in the world to encourage your fans to be in possession of Class B drugs... But she also uses her position in a positive way and is an advocate for a multitude of causes such as animal rights, however in this show she preached to her fans about the importance of equality and being yourself. Usually the young and famous are perceived as thoughtless dummies, but I honestly think Miley is smart. She's judged purely on the basis of how she sexualises her body and talent in order to sell records, and maybe she does, but is she not garnering the attention that's she's so cleverly set out to achieve? She identifies herself, and rightly so, as "one of the biggest feminists" and that was emphasied in her speech about being yourself after her hit ballad 'Adore You' as she encouraged the audience to celebrate the LGBT society. Let's be fair, it's fantastic that there's a pop culture figurehead to shine this guiding light for her fans to be educated and beautifully intellectual young men and women who embrace feminism and are accepting of those from whatever background in which they come from. Preach!

(photo creds: nydailynews)

The highlight of the show was not, in fact, Miley straddling a giant hotdog while flying over the audience singing 'Someone Else' (yes! really!), but was her performance on the 'B' stage. Here she acoustically performed the sensual 'Rooting For My Baby', as well as a whopping four covers: cool points for the wholly appropriate Arctic Monkey's 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?', a beautiful rendition of 'You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go' by Bob Dylan, her Radio 1 Live Lounge of Lana Del Rey's 'Summertime Sadness', and her godmother Dolly Parton's classic 'Jolene' - which is probably the first time ever that Jolene has been called a C U Next Tuesday! This is another indication of Miley's smartness as it's unlikely that anyone, without seeing her perform live, would believe that she is hugely talented and has a wicked sense of humour. The tone of her voice is sweet but strong, and acoustically the audience really feels her country music roots and her sheer delight to be back onstage, keenly lapping up every second.

She closed her whopping 21 song set with a string of her biggest hits. Surprisingly, 'We Can't Stop' lacked the fireworks that the infamous 'Wrecking Ball' ballad set off, before she closed her return to the stage in a Union Jack leotard for the pop classic (we will be singing this for generations to come) 'Party in the USA'. The frankly rather adorable Miley Cyrus performs for the shock factor, and I think that's why people don't understand her. Once that fades, we'll see the emergence of an icon. Until then, she'll shock us until our eyes are raw.

(photo creds: nydailynews)

♡ listen and love: Mindspeak - Holychild ♡

for fans of: Marina & the Diamonds, Smallpools, Charli XCX, Is Tropical, Tweens

Extra, extra read all about it! Music is fun again!

(photo creds Liz Nistico's SXSW diary for BlackBook)

Hey, The Smiths can be great, don't get me wrong, and we all love to rock out sadly to a bit of Drenge contemplating our feelings of destructiveness but sometimes it seems like everyone is just so sad all the time. What happened to happiness? Even New Order's 'Ceremony' is deemed to be wonderfully uplifting by some people (which I don't quite understand... seeing as it was written by Ian Curtis... and released after his death... maybe it's a you-have-to-be-a-die-hard-fan-to-get-it kind of thing...), yet it's so sad. Never when I walk with a spring in my step have I thought to myself, yo, how about some Nick Drake to mark this occasion! That's like saying "oh man, I'm feeling really down today... Might read some Sylvia Plath to cheer me up..." Enough! What bright ray of sunshine can come and cure our sorrow before we're doomed into eternal darkness?

Cue Holychild: serious Barbie-fied bubblegum pop on steroids. Their sound is simultaneously ferocious and sugary sweet, much like a kitten tiger: lovable on the outside but don't underestimate their bite. Don't let their tropical synth-pop beats fool you, as underneath the very 'Contra'-esque hooks lies... what's this? A message? In pop music? Never...

In relation to my previous blog post and its an overwhelming response - thank you so much for all your lovely comments, they made my heart smile

 -

Holychild not only capture the pure sunniness of happiness better than any current chart topping platinum selling single did, but also embody an issue very near and dear to me: (you guessed it) FEMINISM! *rainbows suddenly fill the sky* *angels sing* *baby animals do the cha cha* *etc*

And, no! Before you ask, they're not a girlband so any "well, they're female, what can you expect" excuses just don't count. Liz Nistico (vocals) and Louie Diller (instrumentalist and producer) are the brains behind the LA "brat pop" project and signed to Glassnote Records in January, home to their polar opposites Mumford & Sons and Childish Gambino.

In an interview with Stereogum, Nistico reveals how she and Diller intertwined the politics and sheer importance of feminism into their happy-go-lucky sound:

"The three videos that make up MINDSPEAK portray the contradictions I see existing around the objectification of women. Essentially I felt like a hypocrite, saying, ’down with objectification!’ But at the same, I feel ashamed if I am not objectified nor desired.

The more I thought about it, the more I saw certain layers around this concept that I wanted to reveal. The first video, “Happy With Me,” shows the power females can have by being objectified. In the second video, “Every Time I Fall,” the girls allow the men to judge them and they lose the power. In the final video, “Pretend Believe,” the men have the power, and the girls are broken and angry at themselves for perpetuating the situation.

No matter how one views it, I wanted to leave the film open to interpretation. Specifically I wanted to strike a feeling of nostalgia on one hand, but challenge the audience and make them uncomfortable on the other. Ultimately it’s all an autobiographical account of extreme contemplation on our culture."

ACCIOMIXTAPE DECONSTRUCTS 'MINDSPEAK': EP TRACK-BY-TRACK

Though maybe put off at first by the rather in-your-face hooks and 90's girrrrrrrl power vocals, after a few listens Holychild become unrestricted to all listeners regardless of their preferable genre as their toes begin to tap and they surrender to their sudden urge to have a pillow fight.

• Lead track 'Happy With Me' reminds me very much of what a 'Fancy'/'Diplomat's Son' smoothie would sound like yet Nistico's pleading vocals are reminiscent of a desperate yearning despite the song's sparkly, cheerful vibe. And it demonstrates perfectly why Holychild are so clever.
• Though not part of the all-important feminist message video trilogy, 'Playboy Girl' still has a weighty message of its own: don't let the strive for perfection define you! Channeling early Lady Gaga with elements of teeny-bop 1D pop it, quite frankly, makes me feel like a princess.
• Bigger and grander synths are tied in with infectious vocals for 'Every Time I Fall' still manages to continue their patented relentless joy.
• 'Pretend Believe' is more of an example of the pair's experimental pop label, and perhaps it is that which gives this song a more glamorous and glittering edge.

(photo creds Shervin Lainez)

♡ The Mindspeak EP is hot off the press and has gained a release just in time for Summer. It can be found on iTunes US ♡

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feminism for beginners

Feminism is a hot topic at the moment, that fact is indisputable. In the light of International Women's Day yesterday the word has been fresh on the lips of the media as well as ordinary people around the world. What is a seemingly disputable debate being tossed around right now is what exactly feminism means. Lately I've been so frustrated by comments by acquaintances, friends, passer-bys, writers, and celebrities alike who simply do not understand what it is to believe in feminism, or to be a feminist. The thing is, it's okay to not understand! It's totally, totally fine - the important thing is that we all must learn what it means to exercise a healthy view on women and their positions within our society. And so, I've complied this article (mostly for myself as an outlet for my ever-growing grievances against the sheer ignorance of some people) to help hopefully just one person change their perspective and overcome any unawareness they once had.

Let's being by asking ourselves: what is a feminist?

No, it's not a insane bra-burning lesbian with armpit hair who has a burning grudge against the male species. This is not the 60s, this is the 21st century, and so it's time this stereotype was abolished and we followed the pure, most simple definition. I think the most effective way to explain the definition of a feminist is through a lil bit of Queen B...

Notice the snippet from Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche:

We teach girls to shrink themselves
To make themselves smaller
We say to girls
"You can have ambition
But not too much
You should aim to be successful
But not too successful

Otherwise you will threaten the man"

Because I am female

I am expected to aspire to marriage

I am expected to make my life choices

Always keeping in mind that

Marriage is the most important

Now marriage can be a source of

Joy and love and mutual support

But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage

And we don't teach boys the same?

We raise girls to each other as competitors

Not for jobs or for accomplishments

Which I think can be a good thing

But for the attention of men

We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings

In the way that boys are

Feminist: the person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes

Though I don't condone the use of calling your fellow females bitches (only because I believe it gives an excuse for people, both male and female, to use it negatively against you) I have so much respect for Beyoncé for empowering women and including such a strong feminist message in her song through the voice of this acclaimed Nigerian writer. Below is her incredibly influential speech, and props to Bey for indirectly encouraging young girls and boys alike to look up the speech for themselves and be inspired by her forceful words.

So: why are we so reluctant to label ourselves feminists?
Cleverly, the labeling of feminism has been sarcastically referred to as "the F-word" or "the F-bomb" based on the taboo nature of calling oneself a word which relates to the image of that insane woman with crazy eyes, denouncing the existence of all men. (A really great blog, focused on feminism in everyday life and pop culture, is thefbomb.org which has articles on just about everything to do with feminism.) A lot of this has come from public figures, whether it be pop stars or politicians, who have been reluctant to call themselves a feminist in fear of the negative connotations. I recently felt to smack my head against the wall when reading an interview with girl band Little Mix from an Australian newspaper which quoted:
"They have been dubbed the next Spice Girls and have a string of girl power anthems to their name, but don't go labelling Little Mix as feminists.
'I wouldn't say we're feminists: we don't hate our men,' band member Perrie Edwards told Confidential." [source].

my reaction:

What astounds me is that a group like Little Mix, who probably have songs bursting with girl power and sass, cannot even pretend to know what feminism entails? Like, honestly, that makes me want to die. How can you be in the public eye, with millions of impressionable teenagers looking up to you, but yet still make such uneducated comments? Astounding. Even my beloved Taylor Swift has previously had trouble admitting her feminism in interviews and this annoys me. Do we not proudly look up to mother figures and other strong females in our lives? Therefore, should we not be ashamed to proudly call ourselves a feminist. After all, we are just standing for the equality of both sexes. True feminists do not want one up on males, we don't want to be better, or to beat them: feminists just want to be viewed equally on economic, political, and social levels. We want to take a stand against slut-shaming, and the pay gap,and educational rights, and rape culture, and any other issues that affect how unequal we appear to the rest of the world.

And, no, these issues are not a myth: they're real and they're affecting us today, even in countries like the UK and America who are meant to be pioneers in equality. Recently, Lily Allen denounced feminism, saying she believes in equality because it exists, instead of celebrating feminism but, hey Lily, did you know, between 2012 and 2013, the pay gap between men and women in Britain actually increased, going from 9.5% to 10%? Equality doesn't exist. This is not even to mention the disgraceful levels of inequality in the rest of the world, where some girls aren't even allowed to take part in education because of their gender. Because, apparently, we are intellectually inferior and we belong in the home.

You may have heard the phrases "get back into the kitchen" or "nice story baby, now go make me a sandwich" being thrown around by chauvinistic males from time to time. And do you know why they say these things? Because they are intimidated by women. These boys probably experience serious mommy issues or are just scared of never getting a girlfriend, or whatever. But you're never going to get one with an outlook on life that's so demeaning and idiotic. Why would a woman want to date someone who sees their rights as a joke? Because this interview below, where actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt proudly announces himself as a feminist, gives me serious heart eyes:

Boys: don't be ashamed to call yourself a feminist - the other boys may, ignorantly, call you gay but who cares? It's very sexy and you're going to get all the girls (ps gay isn't actually an insult) x

For me, and probably a lot of people, feminism is also about support. I'm a firm believer in the powers of kindness, and so these may be those morals talking but I don't think feminism should be about the shaming of other women - or men for that matter. Just be nice! If somebody enjoys sex, whether that be a boy or a girl, let them. How does it bother you? If it's not destructive of relationships then it does not affect you in any way. We need to stop slut-shaming, and instead be shameful of ourselves for ever using words like "slut" or "hoe" (I never understand people who use those terms affectionately either. "hey slut!" - um? Thanks but no thanks?). Lorde once slammed Selena Gomez for her song 'Come And Get It' by criticising it's anti-feminist message. Personally I think if Miss Gomez gots it, Miss Gomez should flaunt it if that's what makes her comfortable. Her response to these comments were perfect: "That's not feminism. Lorde is not supporting other women." The world is a hard enough place to live in, why not make it easier by being nice to one another.

And so that was just a little bit about feminism for those who don't completely understand it yet. I encourage everyone who reads this to build curiosity on the subject by reading books like these, or just doing a bit of quick research online so you can impress your friends with your political and intellectual prowess.