Simone recorded many anthems, both for her race and her gender, but “Ain’t Got No, I Got Life,” brought her to a younger audience in the late 60s and is one of her greatest expressions of independence. ![]() Whether she tackled show tunes, jazz, soul or classical music, her subsequent career can be seen as one big refutation of that decision. Having studied at the historic Juilliard School Of Music, Simone was shocked to have been refused a scholarship to Philadelphia’s renowned Curtis Institute Of Music, a rejection which she always believed was based on her race, rather than her talents. Quincy Jones turned in a masterful production that enhances Gore’s haunting voice, making her sound wiser than her 17 years.Ĭlick to load video Nina Simone: “Ain’t Got No, I Got Life” (from ’Nuff Said, 1968)Ī civil-rights activist and warrior for independence, almost every song that Nina Simone sang was politically charged with either personal or social politics. Perfectly timed to coincide with the second wave of feminism, “You Don’t Own Me” cast Gore’s male lover aside, refusing to become one of his “many toys” on display, while also carrying an undercurrent of the sexual liberation that would soon explode across the world. ![]() In an era when female singers were often seen as interchangeable puppets charged with singing songs penned by men, and from a male point of view, Lesley Gore’s 1963 single was that rare thing: a feminist anthem – and one penned by a male duo to boot. Lesley Gore: “You Don’t Own Me” (from Lesley Gore Sings Of Mixed-Up Hearts, 1963) Now that modern pop music is taking up the feminist mantle, we look back at all trailblazing women who were ahead of their time. A decade later, punk would open the doors to all-female bands who no longer had to settle for being a pretty mouthpiece for others’ work. When the singer-songwriter tradition blossomed in the 70s, it allowed a large number of women to make a name for themselves performing their own material. Some genres opened the playing field more than others. But though the style and sound would vary, the underlying message would remain the same. From the women’s liberation movement in the 60s to the first female punks in the 70s and, later, the riot grrrls of the 90s and beyond, each era brought with it a singular voice. Whether it’s challenging the constraints of gender stereotypes, bad relationships, or the music industry itself, these empowering anthems made the personal political, and cut across all genres and eras. For every torch song, anthem, and romantic ballad, female artists have also asserted their independence through empowering lyrics. ![]() “You’d think that people would have had enough of silly love songs,” sang Paul McCartney and it would seem some female musicians would agree.
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