March 1 marked the beginning of Women’s History Month. Being a woman can be a source of pride, but it also comes with its struggles. In the music industry specifically, women are discriminated against for being a woman. Many are overworked and underpaid, even sexual harassment is a huge problem.
Here are 14 songs by some important women in music that showcase some of the women pushing the boundaries in music and what being a woman means to them.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: “Y Control” (2003)
“Y Control” details a relationship where a man has control over a woman. The title refers to a stand alone Y chromosome that represents a man. The line “I wish I could buy back the woman you stole,” paired with the static that follows these lyrics hits hard because it implies that the man stole this woman’s “dignity,” “self,” and “who she was” and she is willing to buy it back when he got it for free. Yeah Yeah Yeahs songs often feature heavy feedback and a high reverb, juxtaposing lead singer Karen O’s sweet sounding voice. This song is no exception. The accompanying music video features disturbing imagery of children carrying the body of a dead dog and mutilating its limbs. Painting a picture of innocence destroyed, the themes of the music video contrast O’s telling of her experience growing up, controlled by a person with a Y chromosome.
Arca: “Electra Rex” (2021)
The title “Electra Rex,” is a combination of two Greek mythological characters: Oedipus Rex, the protagonist of a famous Greek play about free will where the main character ia fated is to kill his own father and marry his own mother; and Electra, the most popular character in Greek tragedies, appearing in two Greek tragedies, who plots the murder of her mother and her lover Aegisthus, to seek revenge for the murder of their father. Electra Rex is a nonbinary version of Odeipus and Electra who “kills both parents and has sex with itself, and chooses to live.” The song includes a lot of clicks and glitchy sounds throughout, pushing the track into a more hyperpop/experimental space.
Charli XCX: “Track 10” (2017)
“Track 10,” is Charli XCX’s longest song. While her tracks typically last two or three minutes, “Track 10” comes in at five and a half. The track describes a couple, where one of the members feels cautious of the relationship and draws space between the two. “Every time you get too close I run, I run away/and every time you say the words, I don’t know what to say/back, back to the beginning, really wish that I could change,” Charli sings. But her infatuation with the other person draws her into the chaos again and again, “I blame it on your love, every time I fuck it up.” SOPHIE and A. G. Cook, known for their electronic production, produced this hyperpop track, but with a slower tempo, making this a standout from the duo.
Horsegirl: “World of Pots and Pans” (2022)
“World of Pots and Pans” is a song off Horsegirl’s debut album “Versions of Modern Performance.” It’s the closest thing to a love song that Horsegirl has ever put out, its lyrics exploring the unfolding of an unrequited romance. The song nods to a band they idolize–Gang of Four–with fuzzy guitar tones and revamped lyrics from their tune “Damaged Goods”.
Sonic Youth: “Little Trouble Girl” (1995)
“Little Trouble Girl” features eerie and far off vocals, reflecting on the often lonely and uncomfortable transition from girlhood to womanhood. The lyrics explain how mothers can prepare their daughters for life, but ultimately, each person’s path is their own to forge. “Remember mother? We were close very, very close you taught me how to fit it good…I’m sorry mother, I’d rather fight than have to lie,” Kim Gordon sings, her voice imbued with nostalgia and sorrow.
PJ Harvey: “A Place Called Home” (2000)
“A Place Called Home” is made up of layered keyboard melodies, snappy guitar beats, and Harvey’s captivating voice. When we’re young, it’s hard to figure out where we belong, especially as adolescent girls. In this track Harvey concludes that only through trial and error can we find the right path for ourselves.
Kim Deal: “The Root” (2014)
“The Root” is a fast paced and repetitive song by Kim Deal. The lyrics describe a hidden jealousy, “I’m happy for you/but I feel like crying.” Deal goes on to sing, “I’m happy for you/from the stem/But not from the root” explaining that, though they want to be happy for the other person, their jealousy prevents them from doing so. The song opens with a smooth guitar riff that sustains until the end, fading in and out.
Broadcast: “Before We Begin” (2003)
“Before We Begin” represents the thrill of getting serious with somebody in a relationship. Unfortunately, the speaker has been there many times before with the same person. She is hopeful that this time the outcome will be different, but accepts the fact that it might end up in ruins again. This ambient pop song has a sweet melody, with a far-off sounding lead vocal that creates a sense of comfortable and familiar longing.
Jessica Pratt: “Baby, Back” (2015)
“Baby, Back” is about a relationship that just didn’t work out. The narrator has accepted that it was bound to end, yet she occasionally longs for the comforts found in the difficulties of the failed relationship. Jessica Pratt’s sweet voice pairs perfectly with the lone acoustic guitar backing. It has hints of folk and country with a unique balance of twang, vulnerability, and confidence.
Cate Le Bon: “I Just Wanna Be Good” (2017)
The lyrics in this song explore the feeling of wanting to please someone you love but also recognizing that you have your own wants and needs within the relationship–and they need to be met, too. Cate Le Bon’s mesmerizing voice is transcendent. With a simple guitar and an even more pared down drum beat, the melody of this tune pushes Le Bon’s feathery voice to the forefront of the listener’s focus.
Ida Maria: “We’re All Going To Hell” (2008)
Ida Maria has a knack for conveying her emotions through her performances, even sometimes adding laughs or emotional adlibs. These added laughs are demonstrated on “We’re All Going To Hell.” She sings every line with a passion that can be recognized even without the live performance. The track’s title is fitting for this melancholic tune, and though the lyrics are simple, her palpable emotions make the song complex.
Angel Olsen: “This Is How It Works” (2022)
“This Is How It Works” might make you cry. Olsen’s echoey voice sounds worn out and deflated, giving you a sense of just how tired she is of this toxic relationship. The song describes someone in dire need of a pick-me-up. They acknowledge their habit of falling into a vicious cycle of returning to the same person in times of need, and decide to break this pattern. The tune navigates this process, without sounding particularly sentimental, “I won’t get attached to the way that it was,” Olsen sings.
Jockstrap: “50/50” (2021)
Jockstrap is a techno duo featuring front woman Georgia Ellery. Being a predominantly male industry, like so many others, women in the techno world are quite uncommon. “50/50” is not a song that necessarily revolves around the lyrics. Instead, it’s full of harsh and glitchy techno beats with blocks of samples–pre-existing recordings by someone else, edited into the song. There are moments where you might not even be sure if the sounds you’re hearing are coming from your headphones or the environment surrounding you, and because of this, you have to pay attention to the track’s intricacy.
Chicks On Speed: “For All the Boys in the World” (2000)
The lyrics of “For All the Boys in the World” cannot be found anywhere, making it difficult to decipher what the Berlin electric group is really trying to convey. The chanting of the “9, 8, 7, 6, 5…” mixed with the overlapping vocals from the two leads transports listeners back to the early 2000s, making it a perfect club mix for the indie sleaze revival. Without the lyrics, the song’s melodies stand alone with the entrancing, repetitive chants and interwoven undistinguishable vocals.
Women have been overshadowed and overlooked time and time again, especially in the music industry. They’re expected to sing or look a particular way, play a particular instrument, make a particular kind of song. These women artists have bent the rules by shamelessly disobeying those restrictive rules and norms for how they should be making music. Jockstrap and Chicks On Speed have forged their paths in the male dominated techno scene. Karen O, of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sings bravely of her attempts to regain control of her life from a man. Many others reflect on relationships and lost love, dictating the narrative from their perspective, showing what adoration looks like through their eyes. These artists describe the struggles and pleasures of being a woman from their unique points of view.
Take this Women’s History Month to reflect on what womanhood means to you and how the female artists that score your life have impacted it.