Artistic Embrace

In recent years a few female artists have truly embraced musical performance as an art form, and almost single-handedly transformed the world of popular music. They have taken individuality to an extreme level, appearing completely confidant in costumes that would make most feel a little ridiculous. These women have created almost a new feminist movement, embracing their own sexuality and individuality, and taking an almost Warholian view of their fame and art.

Lady Gaga, born Stafani Germanotta, for example, makes fame a full time job. She studied the sociology of fame and made celebrities like Andy Warhol and Madonna her idols. Her music is pop, electronic, and dance, but her lyrics are commentary on the shallowness of people as a whole. She dresses in fantastic costumes and wigs, becoming a visual work of art herself. She is truly "deeply shallow".

Rihanna started as a pretty pop singer, but as she has become more famous she has shed her girly, mainstream skin for a style all her own--edgy, sexy, and eclectic. Her music can be described as dance pop and electro with influences from reggae and soul. Her new style in music, clothing, and attitiude seem to have been a display of confidance in herself. She sings about love and sex for the most part, and she is the new icon of feminine power.

Nicki Minaj, a self-proclaimed Barbie, is recreating the world of rap music. Her style is mostly fast paced with changing voices, along with one word at the end of a line or verse to describe what she just rapped; she is vulgar and cocky in her lyrics, while fiercely trying to prove herself to be one of the best. Her music reaches out to fierce women, while drawing in men. Dressing like a Barbie that was played with by Gwen Stefani, Nicki Minaj brings a new look to mainstream rap music, leaving behind the former tight hoodie and short-shorts for an individual style.

These artists together(and with the help of others) have begun to change the way people think about mainstream music, along with artists' attitudes towards how to get famous. They are starting to be more original in their musical style because now you have to be different to get noticed. It is now in vogue for girls to get ultra-short haircuts like Rihanna and Lady Gaga, not to mention actress Emma Watson. Almost everything they are doing is being religiously duplicated by the female populace, as well as some of the male. They are using their music to recreate fame.