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Women in Music

Profiles

Go in-depth on female solo acts, or bands made of mostly women. These are acts where I've written up a little bit about the band's music, history, interviews, and discography.

Indica, all-female Finnish pop rock band

Nova Twins, an all-female Black duo from London making industrial rock

BAND-MAID, an all-female Japanese j-rock band

Burning Witches, an all-female Swiss power metal band

tricot, mostly female Japanese math rock band

Women of the Black American tradition

While black Americans have always contributed to mainstream white American music, they also have their own lineage of music. This section celebrates black American female vocalists and writers. A special thanks to Black Music Archive for introducing me to many of these singers.

Melba Moore, a Broadway singer who popularized high belting.

Grace Bumby, a mezzo-soprano (and also soprano early in her career).

Aretha Franklin, the leading soul artist.

Mahala Jackson, an iconic gospel singer who rejected the record industry's pressure to turn secular, and sang

Anita Baker, a singer-songwriter.

Dionne Warwick, a singer.

The Pointer Sisters, an r&b singing group.

Minnie Riperton

Women of hip-hop

Bo$$, a gangsta rapper.

Missy Elliott

Lil Kim

Queen Latifah

Salt-n-pepa

Nicki Minaj

Meghan Thee Stallion

Cupcakke

Azealia Banks

Cardi B

Latto

Women of rock/pop

Women working in the Anglo-American tradition of rock, regardless of the hardness of their guitars.

Björk, white Icelandic songwriter and producer. Active from 90s to 2020s.

Kate Bush, white English songwriter and producer. Active from late 70s to 80s.

Joni Mitchell, white Canadian folk songwriter. Uses unusual guitar tunings and harmonies.

Connie Converse, white American singer-songwriter. One of the first examples of a singer-songwriter, mysteriously disappeared in 1974. Active in the 1950s.

Fiona Apple

Tori Amos

Bikini Kill

Nova Twins, an all-female Black duo from London making industrial rock

Women of country music

Loretta Lynn, singer-songwriter

Dolly Parton, singer-songwriter

Tammy Wynette, singer

Taylor Swift, singer-songwriter

Women of electronic music

Women who produce electronic music.

Charlotte de Witte, white Belgian DJ producing dark acid techno. Active in 2010s and 2020s.

Zvrra, Black American trans DJ producing techno. Active in 2020s.

Valesuchi, Chile-born Brazil-based DJ

SOPHIE, a trans white Scottish producer

Hilda Dianda, Argentinian producer of electroacoustic music

Women of classical music

Clara Schumann, Romantic-era white German composer and pianist.

Fanny Mendelssohn, Romantic-era white German composer

Florence Price, 20th century black American composer

Germaine Tailleferre, 20th century white French composer and member of Les Six

Cecile Chaminade, Romantic-era white French composer

Margaret Bonds, 20th century black American composer

Amy Beach, Romantic-style white American composer and member of the 'Second New England School'

Lili Boulanger, 20th century white French composer

Alma Deutscher, 21st century white British composer and musical prodigy

Sofia Gubaidulina, 21st century white Soviet-Russian composer

Dora Pejačević, Romantic-era white Czech composer

Women of non-English, world and traditional ethnic music

An umbrella category for music outside of the Western world and style, as well as for traditional styles belonging to an ethnic group. I may change this later, as right now it's just a place to put people who do not speak in English or who sing traditional music.

Angelique Kidjo, a black Beninese singer whose music incorporates aspects of traditional music as well as Western pop music, with a focus on musical styles from the Black Diaspora.

Faye Wong, a Chinese pop singer often compared to Madonna.

Miriam Makeba, a black Swazi-Xhosa singer from South Africa.

The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices by a choir of Bulgarian women. Music performed in the traditional vocal style of Bulgaria, featuring close harmonies (2nds!).

Tanya Tagaq, Inuk throat singer from Canada.

Lata Mangeshkar, Marathi playback singer fromo India, one of the most recorded singers in the world. Her voice is synonymous with Bollywood singing.

Susanne Rosenberg, Swedish singer focused on rediscovering folk singing styles.

Radmilla Cody black-Navajo singer.

Gal Costa, Brazilian singer who was part of the Tropicalia movement. Later outed as lesbian.

Loituma, a quartet founded by two female singers and containing three female singers. Their tracks are inspired by traditional Finnish music.

Umm Kulthum, Arab singer from Egypt who was hugely popular in the world of classical Egyptian music.

Celia Cruz, an Afro-Cuban singer of Salsa music and national icon.

Ofra Haza, a Mizrahi Jewish (Yemeni Jewish) singer from Israel, famous in her native land.

Esther Ofarim, a Syrian Jewish singer from Israel, famous for her powerful voice.

Edith Piaf, a white French singer who sang cabaret and chanson songs. One of the most well known French singers of all time.

Rocio Jurado, a white Spanish singer whose trentorian voice made her a standout in the world of flamenco, copla, and pop music.

Cesária Évora, a black Cape Verdean singer who sings folk music and in the morna genre.

Lijadu Sisters, a Nigerian sister duo that performed afrobeat.

Aṣa, a Nigerian-French singer-songwriter.

Other

Temporary space until they are sorted.

My Brightest Diamond, an indie rock baroque pop act by Shara Nova, American singer.

Imogen Heap, a white British electronic pop singer.

St. Vincent

FKA Twigs

Kelela

Sevdaliza

k. d. lang

Chloe x Halle

Charli XCX

Labelle

Amanda Lear, allegedly transgender French disco singer

Donna Summer, queen of disco

Adora, a South Korean songwriter in the k-pop industry.

SOYEON, a South Korean songwriter and producer in the k-pop industry.