Please can you help me find some suitable current pop music?

[ZennorCalling]

Can anyone please recommend some current pop tracks/artists that my 8 year old might like that will not have me stomping about in a feminist rage? I am totally out of the loop.

I have been on a mighty girl but their recommendations aren't all that up to date.

Thanks

[BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure]

Not the most current but might be helpful:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/1416183-Womens-Music-CHAT-THREAD

[joanofarchitrave]

[disclaimer: I haven't seen any of the visuals for these because I'm too square ]

Roar by Katy Perry
Happy by Pharrell Williams

ok it's a few years old but i adore the video too -
gold dust by dj fresh

[MrsPnut]

My almost 8 year old has the Now series but many of the newer ones make me grrr.

I have taken to removing anything by pitbull, and others I deem to be twonks just to keep me calmer.

[tabulahrasa]

Same Love - Macklemore

Ellie Goulding and Calvin Harris should be ok, I'd think.

That song from frozen is in the charts

[ZennorCalling]

Thanks for your suggestions.

I was obsessed with pop music as a child - you know, videoing TOTP and watching repeatedly to learn the dance routines, taping the Top 40 off the radio every Sunday. As a teenager I then progressed to more interesting alternative stuff - with the same level of obsession. And yet I police my children's viewing/listening so much due to my horror at the sexualised lyrics/video content I wonder if they can enjoy pop music the way that I did? We listen to a lot of older pop and soul music, film soundtracks etc but it's not the same as having something of your own as a child, is it?

So am I missing something? Is there a pop band/artist that my daughter can fall in love with?

[poupeedeson]

Little Mix? I am in love with them even though their target demographic is about 20 years younger than me. They are all very very good singers, especially live, so are talented rather than just pretty faces.

Their latest album called Salute is really good; they have a couple of love songs but they are cute and about courtship rather than anything overtly sexual or unfeminist. There are a couple of party tracks like Move, and then quite a few with a girl power message - there's one about encouraging a friend to ditch a boyfriend who treats her like dirt, another one or two saying "look at me now, you didn't bring me down and now I am shining" kind of thing. And, they are really good songs musically, for an X Factor girlband of all things!

They dress pretty decently as well, the odd short skirt or leather jumpsuit but they are not "sexy" FHM style in the way Girls Aloud or The Saturdays were pushed, and they are all the more refreshing for it. They are the same age that Girls Aloud were when they started but seem much younger, age appropriate and not just going for the glamour thing.

I strongly recommend giving them a listen if it's pure pop for an 8 year old that you are looking for. They make me wish I were 8 again!

[poupeedeson]

For example,

Ythis thread reminds me how much I miss cassettes and vhs! I guess pop music is so accessible now that it's not the same as waiting every week for TOTP or the Chart Show, kids don't really have to do the legowrk so are less likely to build a love of it.

[poupeedeson]

Actually, mulling it over, Perrie from Little Mix did get a bit of stick a few months ago for saying "We aren't feminist, we don't hate our men", which is obviously quite naive and unfeminist. But she was 19, who of any of us didn't say anything a bit dickish at the age of 19. I hope she would change her opinion as she matures...

In terms of their output though, they are definitely feminist friendly as far as pop music goes.

[BristolRover]

Taylor Swift has a pretty good wholesome image for little kids (and they won't read the Grazia articles about her boyfriends) and has a lot of suitably "on message" songs about standing up for yourself / being who you are etc.
Lorde
the Vamps
The Disney ones are normally very clean - so that's Selena Gomez / Demi Lovato / the Frozen OST (not listened to S. Gomez or Demi Lovato so can't comment on quality!)

steer clear of One D / The Wanted / One Season of Summer (?? i think that's the name) who are all about she walks like rihanna / she looks great therefore i want her.

[ZennorCalling]

Ooh Little Mix, I'd forgotten about them (great name poupeedeson, love love love gainsbourg!)

Taylor Swift is another good suggestion, thanks, will look into it. But please God no more Frozen OST - I have a 4 year old DD and it's been on loop for months and months...!

[ZennorCalling]

Crikey, listening to Taylor Swift feels like being trapped in an eternal episode of Dawson's Creek :-/

DD informs me that she can't like Little Mix as one of them is getting married to a member of 1D, they're kinda tainted by association!

[ManicMinor]

Pink, I'd say, she's still releasing records that do v well so isn't out of date yet. I 'screen' DS's music too (he's 6) - we have Spotify and he has an offline playlist that he listens to. It's much easier to check on a song by song basis than finding artists

[poupeedeson]

Yes, Pink is a good shout. Gosh she has been around 14 years!

This thread inspired me to look through the charts snd playlists ss well as ehat I have bought recently, there isn't much about that isn't male dominated, faceless dance or indie. The women around barely get a look in if they aren't a Beyoncé level megastar, and aren't particularly feminist. Katy B is excellent but I think would have limited appeal for a pre teen. I love Shakira but agan not sure she would appeal to the youngsters, and her recent video with Rihanna was questionable from a feminist point of view.


Haha,funny about your daughter not liking Little Mix because of 1D. Fair dos. I'm going to see them on tour tomorrow

[ZennorCalling]

Enjoy the Little Mix show poupeedeson

[KerplunkChampion]

Ooh my first zombie reanimation. I found this thread super useful and have added the artists to Spotify. Has anyone got more up to date suggestions? I’m going to add Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone as well as the oldest is still quite young and doesn’t really get a say.
Meghan trainor?

[KerplunkChampion]

Someone's compiled the mighty girl suggestions into a Spotify playlist!

[Greymisty]

Didn't the little mix member perrie break up with zane from 1d ages ago? Plus he left 1d. So your dd is free to like little mix

[KerplunkChampion]

Ha ha thanks! She is way too young to follow that kind of information, and I am way too old, but I will redouble my efforts in introducing them now that it's safe

[TIMoPLOP]

My six-year-old really likes Sia. She also likes Throwing Muses, The Slits (with one or two tracks skipped, ahem) and Siouxsie. No parental influence there, no, no. She's also interested in investigating more of Sigrid's music, so you've just reminded me that I was going to find something for her to listen to.

[IndominusRex]

Dua lipa and Ariana both have some stuff

[velourvoyageur]

Does it have to be all current? There's Juce, Kate Bush, Eri Ohno, Joplin, Laura Nyro, Yelle, Lauryn Hill, Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, Nena, Nina Hagen and here are some random links of catchy mixed recent/older stuff:

(think she might like this, talks about youtubers)


(cover of Junior's track - both good)



(not amazing language no but it's satire/'reclaimed')
(I do actually think this raises some important social issues from the time re: a woman who's invested time in a man but he won't give her the security of marriage - and tbh it's not so hugely different today)

I didn't like much of the music coming out when I was a kid (2000s), it doesn't matter surely, you just need to find your groove somewhere else!
(Sorry got a bit carried away with this post but couldn't think of much and got alarmed at how few female artists I could think of, so dug into my collection! which I now see is about 90% male! will be watching this thread)

You could also look on Rookie mag, which is for teens, but they 're very libfem and probably post a lot of 'girlpower' type music.