10 feminist icons in music, from Aretha Franklin to Pussy Riot

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Harry Fletcher20 March 2018

Pop music remains one of the world's most powerful art forms and its impact is clear to see when discussing the subject of feminism.

For decades, inspiring women have embodied the movement through their music, with their messages of empowerment resonating from generation to generation.

To this day the industry is blessed with some of the most groundbreaking female figures in pop culture, with each championing women in their own unique way through their life and work.

From Aretha Franklin to Pussy Riot, these are just some of the biggest feminist icons in music.

Beyonce

Beyonce confirmed the rumours by sharing the official cast list for the remake
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Beyonce’s unforgettable performance at the MTV VMAs in 2014 saw her stand in front of a huge backdrop with the word “feminist” emblazoned proudly up it. The performance would go on to spark huge amounts of discussion online, and while her approach was dismissed as “feminist-lite” by the likes of Annie Lennox, the way she brought the subject to the forefront of conversation represented a significant moment for fourth-wave feminism in the 21st century. Factor in the empowering gender politics of songs like Run the World (Girls), If I Were a Boy and Lemonade track Sorry and it’s clear that Beyonce is one of the biggest feminist icons in today’s music industry.

Tina Turner

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As well as being one of the most irrepressible female artists of the 80s, with some of the best-selling singles of the decade to her name, Tina Turner also made a huge impact away from music. The singer represents one of the first female celebrities to speak publicly about the abuse against women. The singer suffered severe domestic violence during her marriage to Ike Turner and showed incredible strength of character to discuss the incidents in her 1986 biography I, Tina. In the age of #MeToo, it feels particularly appropriate to celebrate her impact.

Lorde

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One of the most contemporary feminist icons on the list, Lorde has singlehandedly informed millions of people around the world about feminism. The age of social media has arguably allowed a more intimate and democratic relationship between stars and their fans, and Lorde has used her platform to spread the word of equal rights more than most. As well as frequently discussing the topic with fans, the hugely talented singer also recently wore her message on her sleeve, quite literally, by sewing a feminist essay from Jenny Holzer into her Grammy’s dress. She’s also been very clear on her own interpretation on feminism, telling Teen Vogue that she sees it as "trying to fight for better conditions and better treatment of all women, whether that be trans women, or women of color, or...women in professions that don't get a lot of respect." As far as role models in the industry go, it's hard to argue with the fact that Lorde is leading the way in 2018.

Aretha Franklin

Stage presence: Aretha Franklin performing her hits
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Aretha Franklin’s Respect made an incredible impact upon its release in 1967, and it’s still celebrated today as one of the great American songs of the 20th century. Interestingly, while it’s widely regarded as a feminist classic now, the song had originally been written by Otis Redding from a male perspective, with the character in his version demanding respect from his wife after a hard day of work. However, Aretha Franklin flipped the track on its head and made it the anthem we know today, in which she calls for the respect of her partner and challenges the archaic values ingrained in Redding’s original composition.

Pussy Riot

Music and politics collided in 2012 when Russian collective Pussy Riot staged a protest performance inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Their intention was to supporting LGBT and women’s rights which they believed were being discriminated against under the rule of president Vladimir Putin. The act is given great significance when considering attitudes towards feminism in Russia, including that of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who said in 2013 that feminism is a ‘dangerous’ force that could come to ‘destroy Russia’. Nonetheless, the group proved they were willing to go to above and beyond for their cause after three members of the punk group were convicted with ‘hooliganism motivated by religious hatred’. The trial that followed attracted global attention, ensuring that Pussy Riot spread their feminist message not just in their home country but all over the world.

Carole King

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Carole King’s hugely successful 1971 album Tapestry made her one of the best selling singer-songwriters of the 21st century. At the time she became the most successful female artist to date, but things nearly worked out very differently. Nine years previously she became the first woman to be credited with composing, arranging and conducting an album in 1962 alongside her husband Gerry Goffin, but it was Goffin who received the bulk of the credit at the time. It was only when she stepped out on her own the late 60s, left Goffin and moved to Los Angeles that she was recognised for the true value of her work. Tapestry represented the sound of King taking control of her own direction in both her personal and creative life, leading the way for talented women in the industry to follow her example.

Kesha

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Kesha’s comeback album Woman marked one of the most empowering records of the year when it was released in 2017. It came after a well-publicised and bitter legal battle with her former producer Doctor Luke, whom she accused of physical and sexual abuse. The record was a defiant collection of songs that personified feminist attitudes and represented the sound of her claiming back independence. “I have always been a feminist, but for much of my life I felt like a little girl trying to figure things out,” she wrote in an essay for Rolling Stone. “I just really f***** love being a woman and I wanted an anthem for anyone else who wants to yell about being self-sufficient and strong.” The powerful message conveyed through Kesha’s comeback album and the way she speaks away from music ensure her status as a modern feminist icon in the music industry.

Joan Jett

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Joan Jett almost singlehandedly helped change gender perceptions in 80s America after making her breakthrough with I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll. Throughout her life and career Jett challenged attitudes about women in music through direct action, paving the way for more female artists and working as something of an antidote for the toxic masculinity dominating US rock at the time. “Being told that girls can’t play rock ‘n’ roll-I mean, even as a kid, it was so illogical to me,” she revealed in at interview with Interview Magazine in 2010. By challenging the male dominance in rock music and spreading the message that women should be never be excluded from pursuing their ambitions Jett ensured her status as a feminist icon.

Kathleen Hanna

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Kathleen Hanna became of the driving forces of the riot grrrl movement of the 90s and remains one of the most outspoken and influential feminists making music today. Hanna was the singer in bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre through the 90s and 00s and during her performances at that time she’d bring female members of the crowd to the front to avoid harassment from male fans. Hanna's status as a key player in the Washington music scene of the early 90s is also significant too, as it was the impact of the scene's politics that helped launch third-wave feminism across the US.

Siouxsie Sioux

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You only have to watch Siouxsie Sioux’s infamous appearance on the Bill Grundy show in 1976 alongside her contemporaries The Sex Pistols to see the kind of attitudes women were publicly subjected to at the time. After telling the BBC’s Grundy she had ‘always wanted to meet him’, he leeringly replied, “we’ll meet afterwards, shall we?”, leaving Steve Jones to fire off a string of profanities and outrage the British public. Throughout the course of her career Sioux became a symbol for female empowerment throughout the punk and new wave movement. Her striking, androgynous look challenged conventional ideas of gender and femininity and her music remains some of the most enduring of the era too.

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