Feminism in the 21st century began to look different than that of generations past. The focus turned towards intersectional feminism, which centers multiple aspects of a person’s identity, such as race, class, and sexuality, in combination with their gender. This approach acknowledges the influence these different factors have on a person’s life.
In addition to an intersectional approach, feminists of the 21st century interact with a larger, global activist network due to the development of the internet and social media. This activism manifests in both grassroots and mainstream efforts. The playlist below provides a sampling of artists and music that exemplify these ideas.
Centering Intersectionality
The 2000s
Young people have come of age in a world where women have been offered more choices than their mothers’ and grandmothers’ generations. Women of the 21st century live in a “half-changed world” with more freedom than ever before, while still struggling against inequality like pay gaps, underrepresentation in power, and unequal distribution of household responsibilities.1 Younger feminists prioritized inclusivity and intersectionality in way that older feminists had not.
The early 2000s saw the rise of a few new music events, such as Ladyfest (2000-) organized independently in cities across the globe. The festival, which started in Olympia, Washington, includes music performances as well as workshops with the intention of helping audiences reach “a greater understanding of women in music.”2
Along with Ladyfest, other festivals such as Combating Latent Inequality Together (C.L.I.T) Fest and Musicians for Equal Opportunities for Women (MEOW Con) sought to fight patriarchal views prevalent in music and bring attention to talented women in music.
The 2010s
New organized festivals placed an emphasis on inclusivity, especially of trans communities. For years the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival had faced criticism for its trans-exclusionary policy implemented in 90s.2 In 2015, the final Michigan Womyn’s music festival took place in the woods north of Walkerville, MI.3 It was the 40th anniversary of one of the largest festivals during the Golden Age of women’s music.
In response to Michigan’s exclusionary policy, Laura Wise founded the Mothership festival in California in 2015 which aimed to create a trans-inclusive all-women environment.4 The festival occurred from 2015-2018 but did not have the longevity of earlier festivals, repeating a pattern prevalent across this period.
On an individual level artists, like Beyoncé, have become modern musical feminist icons. Using her identity as a black women to inform her music and feminism, Beyoncé serves as example of intersectional feminism in the music industry. Songs like “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and “Run the World (Girls)” contribute to this feminist identity.
Today
Many women in the music industry toady claim feminist labels for themselves. Their songs incorporate their lived experiences and allow women a space to express themselves. Today’s soundscape for women in music spans multiple genres, from Contemporary R&B, like Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You,” Pop, like Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” and Rap, like Doja Cat’s “Woman.”
The success in claiming space in the music industry that women have achieved today is due to the work of women of color and queer women in the 20th century. Their work in pushing the boundaries of what was “acceptable” for women has created a much richer cultural space.
Further Reading
- Intersectional Feminism: What it is and Why it Matters – UN Women
- Lizzo on Feminism – NPR’s Fresh Air
- Kesha Pens Essay About Female Empowerment – Huffington Post
Bibliography
1Cobble, Dorothy Sue, Linda Gordon, and Astrid Henry. Feminism Unfinished: A Short, Surprising History of American Women’s Movements. Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2014.
2Mastrangelo, Francesca. “An Incomplete Guide to Great Feminist Summer Music Festivals | Bitch Media.” bitchmedia, May 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220514023748/https://www.bitchmedia.org/post/feminist-music-festivals.
3Michfest. “Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival:Performances.” Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.michfest.com/.
4Feser. “This Is The Feminist Alternative to Coachella.” Global Citizen, July 27, 2017. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/feminist-all-women-coachella-festival/.