Influential Female Artists You Should Notice

By Alexandra Cochran
Blog Content Contributor

Have you ever listened to a playlist or specific artist on your phone and wondered what they’re like outside of the music industry, or been curious about their extracurricular activities and if they align with your morals? Being a female who happens to enjoy listening to music, I think it’s really important to support and shine light on other females who not only create bomb albums, but use their voice off stage as well.

There’s a few artists who stand out to me that are easy on the ears and carry lovely messages to society:

Solange Knowles is a Texas native, better known on Instagram after her own record label, @saintrecords, released her latest project A Seat at the Table last year. I felt that her words were so necessary and timely as it reflected on cultural differences and social inequality. I don’t admire Solange just because of this album; I love what she stands for and the platform she uses to educate listeners on the pain passed down over generations and still here very much today. Her song “Don’t Touch My Hair” promotes the conversation of how many ways black people are constantly under discrimination and misconstrued by white patriarchal communities about their physical differences including their natural textured hair, skin color and body and how they don’t agree with non-black conforming supremacist ideals.

Gwen Stefani, a rock star and a mother, started her career in the ’90s in the band No Doubt and has since become an award winning solo artist who heavily participates in philanthropy across the world. Stefani has donated $1 million dollars to Save The Children’s emergency fund after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and continues to hold charities and fundraisers like she also did with former First Lady Michelle Obama in 2012.

Best Coast front singer and guitar player, Bethany Cosentino, not only writes really awesome songs, she’s super proactive. She heavily promoted her followers to get out and vote during the 2016 elections. Cosentino is known to bluntly speak her mind on Twitter (@BestCoast) and makes sure her audience stays informed with the latest international and national news. Openly acknowledging she has used Planned Parenthood’s services, she has participated in multiple benefit shows in support of PP and other events following to support the ACLU. She also has the cutest rescue pets and supports PETA’s Adopt Don’t Shop campaign. Cosentino will forever be my badass idol.

Next time you listen to your favorite band or artists, research and find out who they are and what they stand for. You’re giving these people your attention and it should matter how they use their platforms.

Featured image via Youtube.