melodies... elegantly executed to be a voice for the fellow woman. I am a diva who woke up flawless; a superwoman ready to bust the windows out your car. We shine bright like a diamond because there is nothing wrong with being confident. Survivors. Excuse me Ms. Independent this is for you; It’s for us. So we will hold our heads high as we take a journey through our story. Empowered by our lyrics and united by song, say our names cause we got that bass
welcome to herstory.
3
Welcome
8
Introduction
7 16
Table of contents The Genres
Blues
Jazz Country
R&B
Hip Hop
Pop 44 46
A look forward
The declaration
introduction
WHAT IS SOUNDCHICK?
Music is one of the most powerful forms of communication. It is a means of expression to those who create it and a soothing sound to those who listen. Music is more than just a methodical arrangement of notes with a catchy hook; it says something. Behind every lyric is a story. Behind every verse is a message. That message then hits the ears of the world and makes a statement. For some people, music says the things they are afraid to say or cannot voice on their own. It brings people together as they relate to the story being told. Female artists embody this relationship. They have power behind every word. The music from these artists speaks to the hurt, pain, happiness, and sadness of women. However, female artists do not only speak to the pain caused to them, the also speak to the empoweremnt of women and have done so through time. Feminism and female empowerment has always been in existence but some people only attribute it to speakers, or writers, and neglect to include music and those who use their platform on stage to empower. 8
SoundChick is a journey through music, through the voices of some of the most powerful female artists in the industry. Soundchick reveals some of the artists who throughout their careers have been the voice of women through their atistry and lyrics. SoundChick brings these messages to life so women and little girls can feel united, confident, and empowered through the pages.
9
FEMI
NISM
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 see 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
13
THE BLUES:
BILLIE HOLIDAY
A feminist before her time. In her songs, although many examine love and patriarchal relationships, she expresses an underlying sense of consciousness about her identity as a Black woman in the elite/white/male dominated society of the 1930/40’s. Holiday’s song, “You Let Me Down,”
is a reflection of her consciousness of the sexism and racism that she regularly experienced. Holiday transforms this song, which is full of “clichéd images… of spurned love” into a “rupture exposing black people’s status in a culture infused with the attitudes expressed in this song”
17
like an angel/ fit to we wearing diamonds/
ear a crown/ have a car/ / put me on a pedestal
20
JAZZ:
NINA SIMONE & ELLA FITZGERALD By participating as black women in an artistic avenue that was much revered by mainstream white society, and by singing songs focused on feminine experiences, Fitzgerald and Simone display the empowerment of the individual feminine identity that de Beauvoir and other feminists would value as social progression. Moreover, their commercial success as black women–in an age that suppressed both blacks and women–raised questions of intersecting identities that feminists in following decades would consider.
21
Yeah, freed
dom is mine, and I know how I feel..
COUNTRY:
TAYLOR SWIFT From the start of her career a decade ago, Taylor Swift has shown millions of girls that her personal truths -- and thus their personal truths -- were worth writing about, singing about, and hearing on the radio. She has inspired girls to pick up guitars and notebooks. Her success has made her one of the most powerful people in the music industry, which has long been controlled by men -- and she earned that position mostly thanks to her own savvy.
26
COUNTRY:
THE DIXIE CHICKS They were the first country representation of the Grrrl Power phenomenon. They spoke loudly, they sang forcefully, they were comfortable in their own skin, and they dressed sexy and looked beautiful. They were a girl band, making it big, with songs about strong women. They are strong women who represent having the courage to follow your own vision, to believe in your work, to not choose the safe path. They’ve always been unafraid to be loud, even if it might offend somebody.
29
F L AW I woke up like this
WLESS
Beyonce represents a new view of female empowerment in music. Many argue that she is not a femist but for te current generation Beyonce’s music surges with confidence and “i’m that chick” girl power that girls look up to. From her days with Destiny’s Child to her own solo albums, songs like Survivor, Flawless,
R&B:
Me Myself & I, Diva and so many more speak to the fierce young women of today. There is no other artist currently that has the influence Beyonce does on showing the world what it means to be a women who workd hard for her own. She has a family and is a mogul. In our book, Beyonce is a feminist of her time.
BEYONCE KNOWLES 32
R&B:
ARETHA FRANKLIN Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” is a bona fide cultural artifact and one with a killer groove to boot, arguably the epitome of ‘60s soul music and usually considered pop’s first certified feminist anthem. It didn’t begin life that way, though: what started as a blues song with a danceable beat and a horn section only took on its
34
current status after The Queen of Soul -- not yet a queen and only just having arrived in the Top 40 -- used it to work through her own issues. In the process she struck a chord with a female audience just starting to realize it was just as restless as the rest of society.
What you want, And what you nee All I’m asking, (is for) a little
honey you got it ed, baby you got it e respect when I come home.
HIP HOP:
LAURYN HILL
“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”, the debut album of Lauryn Hill, is extremely important in the realm of black feminism for those reasons alone. She’s challenging the preconceived notions of what being a black woman means, by giving an honest and realistic presentation of a black woman’s view on life, love, and sexuality. What makes this album so important is that, while it serves as a black feminist text, it also touches on themes of love, faith, black motherhood, and the politics of pleasure. Lauryn Hill completely makes herself vulnerable, as she opens up about past relationships, along with feelings about her then-pregnancy. Her music served as an anthem to many, because not only was it so deeply entrenched in the works of black feminism, but it recognized the importance of the work it was doing throughout.
39
Janelle Monáe is a decidedly political artist. She’s the kind of creative voice we need. Someone whose work helps you make sense of yourself and the times. What sets her apart is not a willingness to speak but an ability to deliver multilayered analysis of complicated social issues. Since her mixtape days, she has, sonically, lyrically, and aesthetically articulated a vision for liberation. Though she has not identified with the movement publicly, Black feminist politics undergird Monáe’s persona, music, and activism. The brilliance of the work gets overlooked because she seamlessly weaves in afrofuturism to guide us toward new possibilities.Her choice to center the peculiarities of Black womanhood obscures the dynamism of her art for most audiences. If she were a man or were her music more literal, she would undoubtedly be classed among those hailed the most influential musicians of her generation.
POP:
JANELLE MONAE
41
And deep in my heart th And I made up my mind t
he answer it was in me to define my own destiny
As time continues to move forward and more and more artists emerge into the industry, the voice of women will only continue to grow stronger and stronger. Artists like Tori Kelly, and Kehlani, Alyssia Cara, and more are just now finding their voice in such a sturated world and using their voices to do the same thing as the powerful women in this book. The women of SoundChick are not the only feminist artists. There are so many more artists,
44
lyrics, and songs that have transended the sound waves and changed the game. This is just the beginning glimpse at these artists. If you listen to a song and you feel empowered, or you feel that it says things to have long waited to be said then it has done it’s job. the little girls of tomorrow will forever know just how beautiful, unique, special, and powerful they are.
i am a WOMAN. My voice is power. My mind is brilliant. My body is beautiful. My creativity is endless. So like these melodies let me be, soulful trancending and EMPOWERED being. Becuase I too am phenomenal. I am Herstory
46