Women in Music Pt. II + a Playlist
Words and music by: Abby Yemm
Image from Caroline Rose official Instagram account
Here is our SECOND compilation of 2020’s best albums from badass female artists. Oh, and in between last compilation and now, Ms. Swift casually dropped another gamestopper with evermore. WAP, by the inimitable Cardi B and feat. Megan Thee Stallion, became an acronym -- albeit in some laughable and cringeworthy ways. From Dua Lipa’s eerily transferable club anthem, ‘Don’t show up / Don’t come out,’ to the return of The Chicks with the provocative ‘Gaslighter’ and of course Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Savage Remix feat. Beyoncé’, this is our year in music.
In a year of trepidation, anger, protests, and new forms of fatigue, these magical women prevailed and produced art that brightened, lightened, and guided our path. In a year that has felt like twenty, we are grateful for art in music more than ever (might we say, evermore?). This sentiment aligns with both Gerald Richter’s line, ‘Art is the highest form of hope,’ and what we tell ourselves in the mirror on our toughest days: ‘I’m a savage (yeah) / classy, bougie, ratchet (yeah)’.
So, turn it up. Cheers to these heavy hitters and to the new f’ing year, Nellies!
C’mon! These are party pants songs. Well, some are. And those that are make us want to string up all the glowy, fairy lights in the house and spin around the disco ball. Watch a Caroline Rose music video -- ‘Dancing on the Beach’ is a helluva start -- and get inspired. These are feel-good, goofy, dance-in-your-underwear tunes that will make your heart smile. Breathe easy and crank it up.
Fourteen years later, The Chicks came pummeling back with choice words and an album blasting a hot button phrase: ‘Gaslighter, denier / Doin’ anything to get your ass farther.’ Harmonizing as only they can, The Chicks brought back their good ol’ girls front porch banjo and strings. The duality of these melodic voices paired with powerful lyrics show off what they’ve become best known for: unapologetically speaking their truths, despite and in spite of the cost.
The release of ‘Don’t Start Now’ became an almost instant pandemic anthem. Lipa’s dance pop second album is full of 80’s style disco and nostalgic 90’s sounds. Love her. She’s sexy, unapologetic, and has such a presence at such a young age (25!). Exciting that we will get to see her grow and shine for years to come.
Ooph, Faye Webster -- such a heartbreakingly honky tonk, country-cool sound. Our cool girl crush. Who can sing like that? So silky and nostalgic. She shows that old souls exist; you can hear it in every lyric. It makes us want to cut bangs and head to the closest dive bar.
Oh my, the sexy roller skating, disco images these tunes conjure. Jessie Ware! Damn, what a standout album that sounds so old and so perfectly new. There are so many classic funk and dance tunes here. As our book on crystals says, ‘Don’t ever vibe down to anyone else’s level.’ It’s a message this album perfectly captures. Vibe up, baby! Vibe up!
What is this album? What are some of those sounds? There’s so much strange beauty in the unknown terrain on this album. And yet, the voice! It has remained as throaty, iconic, and pained as when we first heard Tidal in 1996. Ain’t nobody more true to themselves than Fiona. To her own detriment and delight, her angst is apparent and sometimes painfully alive.
Ah, Phoebe Bridgers. Such a sweet sound and so darkly sad at the same time. So raw and, uh yeah, some manic pixie dream girl vibes, for sure. She stays true to herself on this second album and we cannot wait for more to come from this artist. Her singing and guitar work alone is uniquely lovely. Her ability to stand up for herself and be herself is a defining quality we deeply admire.
This album -- the coziness and piano and Teyana’s gorgeous vocal range. This album is stacked with talent: Kehlani, Iman, Erykah Badu, Quavo, Missy Elliot, Future, Big Sean, and Lauryn Hill, for starters. This is rainy day music. This is candle and cuddle or Netflix and chill music (wink). Teyana is a dancer, actor, choreographer, and masterful musician -- a true quadruple threat that we imagine is capable of even more to come.
Girl, what? How many secrets you got up your cardigan? Never before have we been so on board with Taylor’s musical feats. We are seriously delighted by this onset of pure woodsy, cottagecore goodness. With Matt Berninger from The National and Bon Iver and HAIM involved in the production, it’s just so rich and luscious and pleasing. Never before have we loved her this much. So yeah, Taylor, you can name your next album after us if you want -- obviously called nevermore.
We can’t let you go without a companion playlist for this story. Check it out here.
Be well and play on, Nellies. XO