We asked our female Specialists about their favorite female artists: who they were, what they really appreciate about them, their favorite songs, and what they mean to them.
Before moving forward, if you're searching for the perfect soundtrack for the article, and will feel connected to the artists mentioned in it, you can find a selection of Specialist-suggested songs in our ‘Women Who Inspire’ playlist on Spotify.
It was curated last year thanks to the combined efforts of the Musixmatch Staff and Community, and it’s great to see these songs take their space in it this year ❤️
It was very interesting to notice some patterns in their responses that highlight the huge impact that female artists bring to the music industry and their fans. Given that they all provided their responses individually without conferring, these patterns speak volumes, and are well worth talking about!
The first point that transpired from these answers was that the vocal abilities of the artists, and the wide range of emotions that they help cover, is very important for listeners, as it helps them create connections with the songs, and fascinations with the artist.
Two of the names that emerged on this matter were Whitney Houston for her great technical and interpretative abilities, which she uses to sing about “encouragement and being optimistic”, and Sia, whose vocal versatility allows her to equally “master high-pitch songs, as well as mellow” ones. Both use their impressive vocals to strengthen the emotions and messages of their songs, and it’s something that our Specialists were keen to celebrate!
They were not the only two artists whose vocal talents were mentioned. Shreya Ghoshal’s talent was described as blowing one Specialist’s mind, while the ‘expressivity’ of Aika Yoshioka’s emotive voice was praised by another, for how it helps infuse songs used in historical series with meanings that may not be initially obvious.
Two other very important points that were raised interested instead the eclecticism and reinvention capabilities of the female artists; the way they evolve in time and brilliantly and seamlessly move from one music genre to the next. This was something tied specifically to Hayley Williams, as “we can notice… through the years both in the Paramore songs and her solo projects”. NakamuraEmi was also mentioned for “the way her songs have an unique feel and personality to them, being a blend of mainly jazz, hip-hop and some reggae”.
Last but not least, a lot was said about female artists as authors of their own music. Through the creation of the musical compositions and their lyrics, they are able to express themselves, and at the same time describe detailed scenarios and emotive kaleidoscopes for listeners to relate to. This is what we were told about Taylor Swift, whose music successfully taps into a range of emotions for users to connect with; “falling in love, heart broken, betrayed, sometimes tired of this life, but never giving up”. Gretel Hänlyn was celebrated by another Specialist, for how she “balances angst and lyrical honesty. She doesn’t shy away from showcasing all of herself, her demons, imagination, and flaws”, and as a result can connect with her listeners in intense and powerful ways.
It was really rewarding to read our Specialists’ reviews of their favorite female artists, and we’re really grateful to them for sharing their thoughts with us. One of the coolest things to see was how diverse these artists were. Despite coming from very different cultures and countries (spanning the US, Japan, UK, India, and Australia) and working within very different genres, each of them are able to connect with their listeners and fans in profound ways thanks to the creativity, dedication, and talent, infused within their art.
