9. Easy | The Roches | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Arts Entertainment

12 Folk, Rock, and Alternative Songs That Articulate Femininity

Songs with which you probably aren't familiar that beautifully capture the experiences and strengths of the female-identifying.

225
12 Folk, Rock, and Alternative Songs That Articulate Femininity
Mae McDermott

In This Article:

Music can highlight and articulate the struggles and experiences of a people in peaceful, sophisticated ways. While many of the following musical pieces address subjects that are not relegated specifically to female-identifying individuals, and some were co-written by male-identifying writers, what is special about them is the femininity of their expression. The women who write, arrange and express these messages do so in a manner that conveys the quiet knowledge, strength, and conviction of the feminine. They represent the woman's voice that can resound regardless of volume, and the music itself, as natural as an extension of the body, serves to deliver wisdom both inherent and learned by the feminine experience.

1. Eyes on the Prize | Julia Easterlin

Now known as Hite, Easterlin began as a soloist who used a loop station to recorded layers of her voice into vast musical pieces. In this transformative arrangement of the Mavis Staples song, the transcendent nature of her voice interacting with itself coupled with Staples' message of persistence make for a lesson in staying strong and recognizing what is beautiful and important.

2. Deferred Gratification | Ani DiFranco

With the support of a swelling brass section, DiFranco delivers the message that victory takes time and may present itself in strange ways, and one day one who has labored will have the simple but immense pleasure of control. DiFranco's vocals convey a distinctly feminine attitude to recognizing the value of years of toil and patience.

3. Calling Cards | Neko Case

This song, featured on an album written after the death of Case's grandmother and estranged parents, speaks of an abandonment—an unfortunate but perpetual theme of womanhood—and how it can powerfully and debilitatingly transport a woman to girlhood helplessness.

4. Just Like a Woman | Nina Simone

Originally written by Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist Bob Dylan, "Just Like a Woman" tells of a facade of strength and what lies underneath. Women are often the creators of protective shields. Nina Simone's rendition yields an orchestral build to convey the agony of the conflict between the construction of the outer woman and the gravity of the fragile inner girl.

5. Kocaine Karolina | Elle King

Elle King is recognized for her acid tone, but "Kocaine Karolina" is a piece which allows her voice to work gently and to an equally devastating effect. King paints a ghostly portrait of societal pressures upon women today, which in this case result in a woman's destruction. It is shockingly plaintive, distressing, and honest, and captures the awful experiences of addiction and self-destruction.

6. Wake Me Up | Norah Jones

This piece captures the momentary failures of strength which meet us every so often. While Jones did not write alone, her impossibly soft vocals speak to women who feel they must always be strong and resign themselves to vulnerability as though it means failure.

7. We’d Be Home | Joan Shelley

The traditional role for women is that of a caretaker, and though this role has created barriers for generations of women across all walks of life, there is a poignant truth to these empathetic powers. In this acoustic/folk-rooted song, Joan Shelley beautifully articulates caretaking as a strength and wishes to share a home with someone whose struggle is palpable to her.

8. Words | Birdy

What prevails among 22-year-old Birdy's albums is a languid, resigned, mature sadness. "Words" deals with the pain of miscommunication and misunderstanding in a distinctly feminine way: Birdy, while describing sorrow and tears, is still a young woman in control. We feel deeply but what we feel does not control us.

9. Easy | The Roches

The Roches, known for their wonderfully odd tunes full of personality, expertly write of girlhood dreams without minimizing their emotional importance. This song off of their 1989 album "Speak" displays feminine wisdom appropriate to their ages at the time, as they agonize over an exit but know that they are the only ones who tough enough to leave, understanding that with instinct and knowledge comes such weighty responsibility.

10. Came So Easy | The Weather Station

For people who have had to fight for much of what they possess, trust does not come naturally. This piece explores the strangeness of experiencing kindness for one who is unaccustomed to ease. Staccato lyrics that are contrasted by an easy, flowing acoustic that conveys that which occurs naturally and wholesomely.

11. Hey Mami | Sylvan Esso

Pop duo Sylvan Esso blends acoustic and electronic in a portrait of the bare and unapologetic woman. The production value, like singer Amelia Meath's voice, feels stripped and borderline uncaring, along with lyrics that convey a woman who redirects proprietary and possessive remarks so they fuel and strengthen her. It is a lesson in confidence and self-ownership.

12. Snow | The Staves

The British sister trio frequently subvert feminine expectations by writing of an inability or unwillingness to love. A belying, cheerful acoustic allows Camilla to languidly describe feeling nothing for anyone, belonging to no one, and accepting the presence of this coldness within her. The Staves are not afraid to explore the humanity and femininity of pitilessness.

13. I Was An Eagle | Laura Marling

Marling, writing and performing the album "Once I Was An Eagle" almost entirely by herself, comments on naivety and refuses to "be a victim of chance or circumstance or romance." She breaks the confines of gender conformity by claiming the pride and stubbornness of one's grandfather and the strength of one's grandmother. This song is about preserving oneself, recognizing one's strength and size, and affording oneself the space to exist as one is meant to.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
university
University of Nebraska at Omaha

Creating your schedule for the upcoming semester can be an exciting process. You have the control to decide if you want to have class two-days a week or five-days a week. You get to check things off of your requirement checklist. It's an opportunity for a fresh start with new classes (which you tell yourself you'll never skip.) This process, which always starts out so optimistic, can get frustrating really quickly. Here are 25 thoughts you have when registering for classes.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

10 Thoughts Of A 5th Year Senior

What about those of us who don't do it all in four years?

655
college shirt
pointsincase.com

"College will be the best four years of your life" is a phrase that we have all heard growing up. College is painted as a magical place to us while we are in high school. A place you go to learn, meet your best friends and probably have the time of your life while all of this is going down. Four whirlwind years, where everything that you've known changes and you start to learn what it means to live on your own, have a job, etc. But what about those of us who don't do this all in four years? Major changes, hard courses, switching schools, career paths changing, these are just a handful of factors that could extend your four years to five, six or seven. There is nothing wrong with taking extra time to graduate, but returning as a fifth-year is a little different. Most of your best friends have most likely graduated and moved and while you may be one of the oldest undergraduates on campus, you might feel as awkward as a freshmen. A world that became home and comfortable to you is still there but it's slightly different than you've known it to be and you have to find a groove to fall into. These are thoughts you'll have as you look ahead to returning to your college campus, with a victory lap planned.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

17 Times "Friends" Accurately Described Life

You can't say that no one told you life was gonna be this way.

45
friends

In the 12 years since it went off the air, "Friends" continues to be adored by millions. The show that gave generations unrealistic expectations about love (or should I say lobsters?) and New York City apartments had a charming cast of characters that everyone could relate to at some point or another. Here are 17 times Ross, Monica, Joey, Chandler, Phoebe and Rachel accurately described life.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

11 Times Aubrey Plaza Described Sophomore Year

"I don't want to do things. I want to do not things."

417
Aubrey Plaza
Flickr Creative Commons

Aubrey Plaza is one of my favorite humans in Hollywood. She's honest, blunt, unapologetic, and hilarious. I just started my sophomore year of college, and found that some of her best moments can accurately describe the start of the school year.

1. When your advisor tells you that you should declare a major soon.

2. Seeing the lost and confused freshmen and remembering that was you a short year ago, and now being grateful you know the ins and outs of the campus.

3. Going to the involvement fair to sign up for more clubs knowing that you are already too involved.

4. When you actually do the reading required for the first class.

5. Seeing your friends for the first time since last semester.

6. When you're already drowning in homework during syllabus week.

7. Realizing you don't have the same excitement for classes as you did as a freshman.

8. Going home and seeing people from high school gets weirder the older you get.

Keep Reading...Show less
graduation

Things you may not realize are different between high school and college:

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments