"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
