Music and Gender

Growing up, I learned about the role gender played in music pretty early on. Listening to artists like Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Madonna opened my eyes on how important it was for women to create music and art in a male-dominated industry. 

Starting off with Madonna, Madonna was a trailblazer in the music world in the 80s. In an era where women were slut-shamed and shunned for showing any type of sexuality, Like a Virgin broke that barrier and helped not only women in music, but women around the world reclaim female sexuality. The concept of virginity in her song was not literal but as a metaphor for emotional and sexual renewal. This allowed for the departure of the traditional views women had placed onto them by society. Not only in the song, but in the music video Madonna blended both sexuality with female empowerment and took control of how she was perceived to others, challenging the narratives men placed onto women about how they should behave or present themselves to the public. Madonna faced lots of controversy with not only the song and music video, but with its live performances. Her performances would give women the gateway to embrace their sexual power without shame. Although I am not a woman, knowing the struggles women have gone through with being put in boxes they don't want to be in, having a woman at this time in history liberate herself through music is amazing to see.

Michael Jackson was one of my favorite artists growing up, along with one of my biggest inspirations. He is the reason why I started my love for both singing and dancing. Another reason I loved him was because of his androgyny, and how he wasn't scared to challenge gender norms not only in his music, but also in his style and appearance. In his song, "In the Closet" the song talks about love affair, but there is no true gender indicator within the lyrics, leaving listeners to speculate on if this song was about the opposite gender. Michael's vocals were very androgynous, as he often sung in a high falsetto with a effeminate and sensual delivery. Michael discusses how vulnerable he feels in this song, challenging the view of men being often dominant in romantic relationships. 

Another one of my favorite artists who challenge gender norms in music is Arca. She is a nonbinary artist from Venezuela. Her song "Nonbinary" talks about her own gender identity and how she chooses to present herself, not following societal expectations. All across her music she is known for her blending of masculinity, femininity, and androgyny within her lyrics. In the song she reclaims her identity and uses her artistry to break boundaries on what it means to be gender nonconforming. As a queer person myself, music like this is important because it not only opens other people's eyes to our world and helps them understand us better, but it also gives people like Arca representation.