Kendra Brea Cooper
The musicians on this list know the beauty of imperfection. They write of experiences beyond just "girl sad about boy", and they do it while exposing every jagged edge and anxious moment that comes with being a young person in our culture.
The members of Haim are three very talented sisters out of LA who channel folk rock ancestors in their long, unstyled hair. Their songs are the kind of rock songs you can easily sing along to while you insert your own experiences into the meaning of they lyrics.
Lorde rests her image on the idea of 'truthfulness'. She calls out photoshoppers, writes her own songs, and aligns herself with characters like Katniss Everdeen. Her lyrics have a way of revealing buried anxieties beyond just romance and heartbreak.
Fefe Dobson threads a little bit of punk through her pop beats. I've always found even her little bit of edge very refreshing.
Tove Lo's hit song "Habits" doesn't apologize. It covers the extremes we will go to just to distract ourselves, and what we'll use to fill our minds with anything other than that one person. She's learning how to deal, just like the rest of us.
Charli XCX moves away from all the desperate love lyrics that beg us to focus on romance. While her lyrics seem typical, the need to "break the rules" applies to every girl on this list
This Queens resident raps about NYC in ways only someone who lives it could. Her hip hop is as hilarious as it is clever. There are bits and pieces in her lyrics that really challenge the status quo, and it starts with the fact that she doesn't hold back.
You can tell where Lowell is coming from through her videos, because she directs them herself. Finally, here's a girl that stares you dead in the eye with no thoughts of mercy. Long gone are the days of the shy glance.
Grimes' musical style is hard to pin down, and that's what makes her so interesting. She knows the power of the visual as a child of the internet. She seems to have a keen eye on how quickly things are changing because of the online world and how it blends genres and ideas.
Meghan's hit "All About that Bass" is all about the bodies. She sets out to bring up the issues girls face while living in a tug-of-war between themselves and the body image mass media has championed. Her video is very pastel, very "feminine", and acts as an example of the "little girl world" created before the girl even gets here.
Lights has returned from her musical break as bright as ever. She's always been a little bit off the mainstream, making her a much loved alt girl. She doesn't quite fit into any mould, so she's breaking it.
Lady Sovereign raps about not shaving her armpits and is open about her love for the same sex in interviews. She's a unique voice in hip-hop.
I love that there's something about her I can't put my finger on. I think that's her intention-to not be under any ones finger.
Pop culture and all that ideology sitting in the blind spot. Also crafts.
