Gendering Music Discussion

[zeldspazz]

This is something that I have noticed where I go to school, and I think this would make a great discussion.

Let's me start by saying I love music. I've always been intriuged by how you can put different sounds together and make them sound wonderful. So I listen to a ton of music. I never thought there was something considered the "wrong" music to listen to. All types of music have their style that is liked/disliked, but I am talking about something else. What about when you listen to a band with mainly girls or mainly boys? Don't most boys listen to the ones with mainly boys? Where I live, boys who listen to music with mainly girls/girl singers are considering "gay", "queer", "weird", etc. But why?

To me, all music should be listened to by all people. I personally understand that there are some bands *cough* Hannah Montana *cough* where it is meant to be mainly a girl crowd. But whats so wrong about a boy listening to other girls. Personally I love listening to Brittany Hargest (lead singer in an old band called Jump5, now formed a great group called Guest) belt out a high note, or listen to the lead singer of Evanescence sing the long mysterious pitches. How about Christina Aguilera (misspelled probably) and Heart? They are all wonderful singers and musicians with amazing skills, but if a boy wants to listen to them they are deemed "unusual" The main reason, I believe, is because the lyrics are always about sex/love. So a girl is going to sing about guys and such (when really bands should be singing about other stuff too, like Jump5, such as life, lessons, and events) but this shouldn't stop you from listening to them. Of course, there are other things that may help "gender" music other than lyrics and that can be discussed, but this I think is the main reason.

This is what my dad says: "The voice in the song is like another instrument. The pitches, crescendo's/decrescendos, articulations all add to the instrument "vocals" and is not soully about the lyrics" I love my Dad =D He basically sums everything up. What he is saying is the voice is just to add to the affect of the song, as does a drum or guitar, and should be reflected as good or bad just because of the lyrics (or other things). All people should listen to all types of music, so don't be afraid to pick up a Taylor Swift song here and there, you might just end up liking it.

So what are your takes on this?

Bands you might be interested in (sorry a little off topic, these are both boy/girl based bands) can be found here http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=28210 I'm hoping this thread will also help people find music too.

Discuss =)

 

[Xsyven]

We had a thread like this before actually, but it's been dead for a while now, so I don't mind seeing it again.

Yeah, I love bands like the Stars, Metric, or even No Doubt. Then again, I am gay. So I sort of just confirmed your dumb friends' theory. But then again, I listen to a lot of manly music as well, so I'm not too ashamed.

 

[Circus]

The thing is, music isn't quite that black and white. The Jonas Brothers are all boys, but they're clearly targeted toward a female audience. Bands like Evanescence and Paramore have female singers and probably have a large female fanbase, but I would certainly consider them respectable bands for a guy to listen to. To an extent, I think there is a certain gendering of music, but not as much in the gender of the artist as the prejudices of the genre an artist is in (i.e. pop music is "girly").

I'll agree that I think too many people limit themselves to too narrow a range of musical preference. I like a fair amount of rock music (spanning many of its crazy subcategories), but I'm also into electronic/dance-y stuff. One of my favorite artists is Imogen Heap and, as a man, I have no shame in admitting that. She's a woman, she makes a kind of eclectic pop music, and it's ****ing awesome. And to Hell with anyone who judges me for it.

You could make the argument that I'm gay so I don't count but bands like Manchester Orchestra and Brand New and The Killers (more of my favorite artists) don't fit the mold. Plus, it's not like I'm into Cher.

I don't know what the point of all this was. I guess I just agree that everyone should open themselves up to more musical experimentation and that a voice is just another instrument. Though I really don't think I could ever respect a member of Jump 5.

 

[zeldspazz]

Hehe come on, Jump5 is like the best ever =D The only problem I had with them is that I felt Chris and Brandon were kinda of background voices a lot, so I wish they had more of a singing part. Also, I've never heard of the band Xsyven mentioned, I'll look them up. And just because you guys are gay doesn't mean your opinion doesn't count, I'm sure if you guys were straight you would have the same opinion, sexual preference doesn't have a huge affect on music choice. It is just a stereotype, my dad has tons of girl-based bands and obviously he is straight, otherwise I wouldn't be here. I was also hoping this thread would open people up to the wide variety of music there is, since people are quote "narrow-minded" when it comes to music preference. Well, I got to go for now, I hope this thread does well.

 

[Overload]

I've been thinking about this recently. I think some people might like some songs by female artists but will stay away from them because they might think people will make fun of them for it. Who knows. I mostly tend to listen to music sung by males, but I do like some stuff by Paramore and Evanescence.

 

[Overload]

Woops, computer laggy, accidental double post.

 

[Proverbs]

I never thought there was something considered the "wrong" music to listen to.

orly?

*cough* Hannah Montana *cough*

XD Kidding.

Spoiler

Kinda but not really

I think I tend to enjoy male musicians more than female, but I don't make a point to avoid female musicians. In fact, there are a lot of female musicians that I really like. I'm not really sure how to explain it. I think it's just that men typically express a man's point of view in music, which I'm able to relate to more readily than a female's perspective. I know it's a taboo to mention it in today's society, but there are differences between men and women. That's not a 'role' they need to fulfill, it's just that we work differently. So, I guess that's kinda why it ends up happening like that. And from there it's not surprising that if a man relates more to a woman, that he's considered "less manly." It's logical, but discriminating against people in that way, I don't support.

I don't know, I'm just trying to make sense of it.

 

[DtJ Jungle]

My favorite song is "I've had the time of my life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. I wonder if anyone knows where this is from.

I like all types of music, and I try not to avoid music because it is "girly" or whatever. Same goes for its if its 'emo', or 'black' (wtf does black music mean?).

I Just love all music

PS Taylor Swift rules. Her first cd that is.

EDIT: also unlike the few others in this thread that have claimed to also like girly music, I am not gay. Just pointing that out

 

[Chaco]

Well, as you may now NeverShoutNever is always known to have a female fan base. But I like him, and as Circus said, if you judge me...bad things will happen.

 

[Hiyayayah!]

I think people should be allowed to listen to whoever they want to, and shouldn't have to feel the need to hide what music they like. There are probably loads of guys out there who think that some 'girly' music rocks and are too scared to admit it because they know they are gonna get called 'gay' and stuff, but really, who cares - at the end of the day it's the person who is doing the calling that has the problem, besides there's probably a good chance that the person who mocks guys for liking 'girly' music, probably likes some 'girly' music themselves

I myself don't partically like female singers, unless they sing in another language, like Japenese for some reason. But I prefer kinda rock, metal songs and I prefer hearing guys sing that sorta songs cus for me a don't think many female singers compare when it comes to that kinda music genre

But anyway, I think that any guy who can 'admit' to liking 'girly' music is a VERY cool guy - cus they ain't afraid and stuff

 

[zeldspazz]

That's the thing, junglefever, you had to say you were straight otherwise people would judge you, and I think that's wrong, so I'm trying to make a point to people that they should judge people so much and just listen to all kinds of music =) Also, I understand the thing about how female comes from female point of view, etc. I think that too, but like my dad says, the lyrics aren't everything so you get past that eventually. Nice imput guys

Hiyayaya- then you should be calling every person who posted so far cool, and lol at the Japanese part, that's pretty cool. I like mostly oldies rock, pop (Jump5 =P), and I even like some orchestrated music from time to time.

Dinner time might be back later, keep rockin guys =o

 

[Hiyayayah!]

Yep, everyone on here have been cool so far

classic rock is nearly always the best - I Haven't actually heard of Jump5 - I'll have to listen to em some time

 

[zeldspazz]

Jump5 is hard to get into, its really pop-ish, but their later albums (Dreaming in Color and on) get more mature, so I really like them. I'm glad people are finding new music on here. And huzzah, another classic rock lover (not many where I live)

Oh, and the B52s are pretty rockish, and there's a girl singer =P You might wanna try them.

 

[Hiyayayah!]

Ok, cool, thanks

 

[zeldspazz]

Np =)

Tell me if you like it, I don't know many people who have though =P Anyone else have a good band that you think people would enjoy? I might put post them so people have something to search for after reading the thread.

 

[Scott!]

I think it would be better to keep this discussion on the basic topic rather than turning into a recommendations list, since there's already plenty of that in the Media Metropolis, so this would just get closed.

Anyway, it's unfortunate that people stereotype you by your taste in music. Yes, a person's taste can say something about them, but liking female singers doesn't mean you have so-called "girly" taste in music. I get this a lot. I'm a straight male, but I like lots of girl-pop stuff. I'm a big fan of Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, and stuff like that, as well as other female vocalists. Imogen Heap is pretty awesome, KT Tunstall rocks, Evanescence is good when I'm feeling angsty or something. I'm also a fan of TVXQ, a K-pop band with a fan base that's probably 80% female at least. And I know, if I were to tell this to someone who I recently met when they ask me about my music taste, I'd get judged hard. So I usually don't talk about half of my music taste to new people. If they ask me, I'll use my more "appropriate" favorite bands like The Beatles, TMBG, Gorillaz, etc.

Once, when Vanessa Carlton came to play at my school (and she was amazing), I pretty much kept it a secret from people, only letting a few friends know where I was gonna be. And when I got back, (did I say it was amazing? cause it was) the first thing my friends did was laughingly tell me how they made fun of me while I was gone. I appreciated their honesty, I guess, but why should I get made fun of for going to enjoy the work of a musician who I enjoy? Le sigh.

Also, the B-52s are flipping awesome. Not exactly classic rock, but they're incredibly fun.

 

[manhunter098]

I enjoy music for the sound of it. For example I have a strange love for several female Japanese pop/rock artists, but I also enjoy your typical rock music, and my favorite band would probably have to be Rise Against. But I really do love High and Mighty Color and Nami Tamaki.

I do think there are bands that tend to appeal more to certain genders, but for most music I don't think gender has too much with who people like to listen to.

 

[JLynn943]

I have no gender bias when it comes to music. If I like it, I'll listen to it. I'm a guy, but I listen to plenty of bands with female singers (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, No Doubt, Evanescence, etc) and "girl-oriented" bands as well. My brothers sort of make fun of me for it, but not much. A lot of what they listen to I introduced them to, so they respect my choice in music.

Also, that quote from the OP's dad is completely true. The voice is another instrument in the band. It should be appreciated regardless of lyrics. Lyrics are just extra for me. If a song has great lyrics, that's nice, but I don't put too much weight on it. A lot of people I know obsess over them...

 

[IrArby]

I think largely, more guys start playing instruments then women. Its something of a stereotype but stereotypes have some basis in fact but, playing an instrument is a sort of independent non-group oriented thing or it is at least if you want to be good (putting in the hours to practice). Singing not so much but "singers" are notorious for having generic type songs. The format is four chords that you rearrange for the verses/chorus, do that process twice, switch to the 6th Chord (that scale's minor fakeout 1 chord, then move back into the chorus. Its a very pervasive format thats difficult to escape.

As far as gender goes, I just think theres more guys (in general) have less generic stuff. How many Female solo artist have albums that are something along the lines of "Underneathe Your Clothes", "In My Skin" or "Me Underneathe". Something about "exploring" themselves, its kinda overdone as is the LoveMyBoo/BreakItOffWithThisJerk type songs. I mean theres lots of great songs by guys about girls and relationships too so theres something more than just the female relationship fixation. I can't think of many great female songwriters.

I love No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom (2nd Album I bought ever), and if I randomly hear Cher's "Turn Back Time", and I'm straight. Perhaps playing guitar and singing for some time now, I'm less embarassed about it and have enough experience learning songs to be sort of disenchanted with alot of music like New Country, most particuarly Pop Rap, Hardcore/Spaz/Screamo. And I can give very legitimate objective reasons as to why those genres are in many ways inferior to other kinds.

In my opinion, alot of female singers sound very similar (particularly Country where everyone sounds the same) and I've already gone into how I think alot of their songs are likewise very similar. I like Heart (and classic rock) but in no way is Heart as good as Billy Joel, Elton John, or Dire Straits, or David Bowie, or Queen, or Journey, or gosh any number of people. There's just like ground breaking Female Artists I think. I mean the Donnas are like one of the most generic Pop Punk bands I've ever heard.

 

[zeldspazz]

Ok guys I'm back from school. I'm glad to see people are making cool comments about likeing female bands, makes me feel less alone I guess =P Keep em coming, and it's ok if you don't agree, I want to hear all sides.

 

[AcesWild]

I'm actually in a band with a female singer, and a large majority of our "fanbase" does happen to be female. I guess it's that feeling of being able to associate because of how much music of music is male based.

But personally I love girl singers and musicians. I just enjoy the female voice most times over a dudes. I'm going to go see No Doubt and Paramore in June and couldn't be more stoked.

 

[zeldspazz]

Sorry double post, forget this.

 

[zeldspazz]

. I like Heart (and classic rock) but in no way is Heart Worse than Billy Joel, Elton John, or Dire Straits, or David Bowie, or Journey, or gosh any number of people. Queen is the best of these though

Fix'd =P

Jk, just my opinion, Elton John Billy Joel are very good artists, but love Heart. But, Queen is up in my top 5-10 bands.

 

[IrArby]

In a general sense though there are alot more fans of those guys than of Heart.

IMO there are people who are fans of female solo artist but they are looking for singers not songwriters. Thats a huge divide as I'm sure you'd be hard pressed to find female songwriters on par with the male songwriting greats. I love No Doubt Gwen Stefani's later solo stuff lacks the same substance. Is it because she's lacking a great songwriting crew? Yes I think so.

Sorry if I sound sexist. I'm not. Its just that biologically and by the very nature of how we gender kids, girls have different strengths/weaknesses (generally speaking) than boys and girl's strengths are less valued in society. That goes for every society.

 

[Circus]

In a general sense though there are alot more fans of those guys than of Heart.

IMO there are people who are fans of female solo artist but they are looking for singers not songwriters. Thats a huge divide as I'm sure you'd be hard pressed to find female songwriters on par with the male songwriting greats. I love No Doubt Gwen Stefani's later solo stuff lacks the same substance. Is it because she's lacking a great songwriting crew? Yes I think so.

I think the term you're using, "female solo artist," is far too general for what you actually mean. I think you're thinking of people like Britney Spears and Kelly Clarkson who just show up to sing and maybe dance around a bit but don't really contribute much, if anything, to the writing process. That's not fair to the gender. You can't claim that "people who are fans of female solo artist... are looking for singers not songwriters," because you're not including artists like THIS (skip to about two minutes in).

 

[IrArby]

Whitney Huston will never be known as a great songwriter. Name any Female Solo Artist that's widely considered a great songwriter.

As for the link, not that that was a bad song, it was good, but its not mindblowing. You've probably never written songs before. I've written alot and I don't say that to come across as an *******. "Backup Makeup Lightshift waiting" was a good line sound wise (I'm not big on lyrics being "meaningful" since that's really objective) but the chords, the progression, and the melody were neither very original nor as memorable as alot great songs out there.

I mean its good. Is there a studio version on Youtube somewhere. Just asking because she could probably explore more dynamics with other instruments. And this is still just one female artist and she probably won't ever achieve the audience that the other artists I listed did.

 

[Circus]

I shouldn't have to name you someone who is "widely considered a great songwriter." Surely that's not how you judge great songwriting. You judge for yourself, don't you?

There isn't a studio version of the song, unfortunately. The song she performed is on an album that hasn't been released yet.

If you actually feel like sitting through them (I imagine her music isn't really your cup of tea), then here are a few other songs that might wow you a little more: Speeding Cars, Headlock, The Moment I Said It. That doesn't even begin to tap into the variety of music she's made so far, but it's a starter. If you don't feel like giving them an honest listen, then don't. It won't hurt my feelings.

But that's not the point. I'm not here to convert you to Imogen Heap. My point is that Imogen Heap is a female artist who makes all of her own songs. Completely by herself. The music writing, the lyrics, the mixing; everything is done by her. She's a songwriter/solo artist in the truest sense. So I just don't think it's fair to say that fans of female solo artists are just looking for pretty voices. Imogen Heap is an example of a female solo artist who can be so much more. It's one of the reasons I like her.

For the record, Imogen Heap is actually a relatively big name. Just mostly in the UK. I only tell you this because I don't want you to write her off as some nobody who can sing and play the piano.

 

[Pikaville]

If a band or artists music makes people feel good/happy,makes them think when they listen to it,makes them move then that is success.

It doesnt matter what genre it is or if it aimed at a certain audience.

I am mainly a metal/80's head but I also listen to the likes of lil wayne,Mozart,Daft punk,Rod stuart,Pat benetar etc.

If listening to music stirs up an emotion inside you that you cant hold in,then the artist has achieved their goal.

 

[Mith_]

I shouldn't have to name you someone who is "widely considered a great songwriter." Surely that's not how you judge great songwriting. You judge for yourself, don't you?

There isn't a studio version of the song, unfortunately. The song she performed is on an album that hasn't been released yet.

If you actually feel like sitting through them (I imagine her music isn't really your cup of tea), then here are a few other songs that might wow you a little more: Speeding Cars, Headlock, The Moment I Said It. That doesn't even begin to tap into the variety of music she's made so far, but it's a starter. If you don't feel like giving them an honest listen, then don't. It won't hurt my feelings.

But that's not the point. I'm not here to convert you to Imogen Heap. My point is that Imogen Heap is a female artist who makes all of her own songs. Completely by herself. The music writing, the lyrics, the mixing; everything is done by her. She's a songwriter/solo artist in the truest sense. So I just don't think it's fair to say that fans of female solo artists are just looking for pretty voices. Imogen Heap is an example of a female solo artist who can be so much more. It's one of the reasons I like her.

For the record, Imogen Heap is actually a relatively big name. Just mostly in the UK. I only tell you this because I don't want you to write her off as some nobody who can sing and play the piano.

Hey I am digging this imogen heap. These songs sound nice. Later I will try to dissect the lyrics to see if I like her even more

I'm a black male and I like almost everything. I've been listening to The Fray all week, next week will prolly be Dr.Dre, hes got an album that just came out or is coming out.

I don't think you can place a certain type of music on a group of people. I used to think that but lately I highly disagree.

 

[IrArby]

For the record Imogen Heap is just one artist however highly you rate her music. I'll listen to the songs when I have some time later. Believe or not, widely known artists are widely known because they have alot to offer whereas as great as I think Coheed and Cambria's first 3 albums were, they'll never be very widely known because they're appeal isn't totally eclectic. Still, some of the songs are. Some of their best songs in fact. A true artist can be original and expressive in an accessible sense that most people will still get it.

Yes I judge music for myself (how much Damien Rice, or Coheed, or Pink Floyd, or Ben Folds do you know). Those are somewhat known people but they're not billboard topping artists nowadays. There's plenety of underground crap out there. Theres more underground **** than pop **** honestly. Thats my point that a small fanbase often indicates a poor artist (not a talented misunderstood one whatever non-conformist might say). And a mid sized to large auidence would more often indicate a good expressive artist. Someone whose too big is often too broad and not very original. Being obscure doesn't make artists good in fact its usually quite the contrary. Besides, it took enough people to "decide for themselves" whether alot of great bands would be considered greats. They didn't materialize from nothing as popular bands (at least not so much back in the day).

And no I didn't write her off as a nobody who sings and can play piano. I myself am a nobody performer who sings and plays the guitar; yes solo guitar and solo vocals. I write good stuff (not very many lyrics to be truthful) and I'm pretty aware of what makes for a good song. Furthermore, when I played the previous song, my response was luke warm slightly more positive than negative. The non-musicians around me really weren't feeling it at all.

For one, solo piano + vocals isn't enough to get a song across to some people unless you really explore some dynamics which she doesn't really do enough IMO. If you're gonna sing thats fine people listen to your singing. If your gonna play piano fine people just listen to your piano. But if you write songs and sing/play the piano you're competing with alot of piano driven songwriting groups like Train or ColdPlay who've guitars and backup vocals, drums, and keyboards. Thats why I asked for a studio version. The lack of a second voice or drums to really drive the song is a problem I feel all to often by myself.

Second problem, the "hook" isn't particularly behooving to most people. I've listened to it three times and I still forget the essentials in the song. Its not as memorable as alot of great songs.

I promise I'll listen to the other songs later and I'll give you my take. Believe me, as a performing musician with a small but enthusiastic amount of success, I've got a decent idea about what works and doesn't with songwriting. Whether I can then write goods songs is a different story. Just saying I can tell when someone is pretty good.

 

[Firus]

Wow, I so agree with this.

I mean, think about it for a moment; when you listen to a song, do you decide "Oh, I think I want to like this song"? No...musical taste comes naturally. If you like a song, you like it. It's hard to get over the fact that you WILL have songs that you simply cannot show to anyone, even your friends, because you've got to feel like you're going to get made fun of...and I'm a person who's mostly stopped caring what people think of me, too. I'm not going to hide it, but then again, I'm never letting anyone see my iPod ever again. I made that mistake once with someone who I was acquainted with, and they started laughing at something which I wouldn't have even considered embarrassing.

To be honest, about a fourth or so of my iPod is "Guilty pleasure" music, and no, that doesn't include video game music. That ranges anywhere from the first three Pokemon movie soundtracks to the Inuyasha soundtracks (J-Pop is some catchy stuff). That's probably the best of it, too.

*Sigh* Gotta love society's stereotypes, right? I swear, stereotypes are the worst thing to ever be invented. I don't care how much they're "based on fact" (which is a BS argument anyways, since about half of them are either outdated or made up out of the blue), you cannot classify people by what they wear, what music they like, what their hobbies are, etc. There are so many exceptions to every rule.

...But this isn't the place to rage on society. >_>

Point is...I agree. Music cannot be stereotyped any more than people. Listen to whatever you want to listen to, and if you know people aren't going to like it don't let anyone see your music.

 

[drcossack]

My favorite song is "I've had the time of my life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. I wonder if anyone knows where this is from.

I like all types of music, and I try not to avoid music because it is "girly" or whatever. Same goes for its if its 'emo', or 'black' (wtf does black music mean?).

I Just love all music

PS Taylor Swift rules. Her first cd that is.

EDIT: also unlike the few others in this thread that have claimed to also like girly music, I am not gay. Just pointing that out

From Dirty Dancing.

Wow, I so agree with this.

I mean, think about it for a moment; when you listen to a song, do you decide "Oh, I think I want to like this song"? No...musical taste comes naturally. If you like a song, you like it. It's hard to get over the fact that you WILL have songs that you simply cannot show to anyone, even your friends, because you've got to feel like you're going to get made fun of...and I'm a person who's mostly stopped caring what people think of me, too. I'm not going to hide it, but then again, I'm never letting anyone see my iPod ever again. I made that mistake once with someone who I was acquainted with, and they started laughing at something which I wouldn't have even considered embarrassing.

To be honest, about a fourth or so of my iPod is "Guilty pleasure" music, and no, that doesn't include video game music. That ranges anywhere from the first three Pokemon movie soundtracks to the Inuyasha soundtracks (J-Pop is some catchy stuff). That's probably the best of it, too.

*Sigh* Gotta love society's stereotypes, right? I swear, stereotypes are the worst thing to ever be invented. I don't care how much they're "based on fact" (which is a BS argument anyways, since about half of them are either outdated or made up out of the blue), you cannot classify people by what they wear, what music they like, what their hobbies are, etc. There are so many exceptions to every rule.

...But this isn't the place to rage on society. >_>

Point is...I agree. Music cannot be stereotyped any more than people. Listen to whatever you want to listen to, and if you know people aren't going to like it don't let anyone see your music.

Guilty Pleasure music? Yeah, I have some of that - Final Fantasy tunes (Dark Messenger, Vamo' Alla Flamenco, FFIV's 4 Fiends theme, Dancing Mad, and Clash on the Big Bridge)

Personally, I don't care if the singer is male or female. I have far more songs done by men on my iPod though, but I don't think of myself as sexist. I just like a lot more male singers than I do female.

My female singers/bands with female leads: Linda Ronstadt*, Jennifer Warnes*, Lita Ford, Heart, Carly Simon, Pat Benatar, the Pretenders, Starship, Natalie Merchant (well, 10,000 Maniacs), Tina Turner, and Vixen. I have some others, like Michelle Branch (The Game of Love), but those are guest appearances.

* These two are duets - Ronstadt+James Ingram on Somewhere Out There, and Warnes+Joe Cocker on Up Where We Belong

 

[Prawn]

There are many bands with female singers that are amazing,

Honey Honey, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Tip The Van, Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins.

The reason people have the opinions you said are because females are marketed that way. It's a sad fact but its true. Gwen Stefani was originally against all of that, but years later she just became another crappy pop sensation(ultimately more profitable).

To me female singers can be amazing and bring another level of musicianship to vocals. In my opinion the best female singers will always sound ultimately more beautiful than any male singer, no matter how hard they try. However that might just be me.

 

[zeldspazz]

To me female singers can be amazing and bring another level of musicianship to vocals. In my opinion the best female singers will always sound ultimately more beautiful than any male singer, no matter how hard they try. However that might just be me.

Why don't you go listen to some Frank Sinatra and then tell me a male's voice can't beautiful =)

But other than that, yeah I preatty much agree, I think a female has more options with her voice than a male does, so that what draws me too it I think.

 

[IrArby]

I think the issue stems not just from people stereotyping everyone just to do it but that people actively assimilate themselves into stereotypes. They act out those stereotypes in the manner they carry themselves and dress and so forth. Its a cultural/behaviral reference point. This doesn't apply to all people all the time obviously as some people don't have just a single reference group but most people will have some and they do adhere to their structure from time to time. I find myself actively avoiding certain tags or clothing or what have you, in part to avoid being labeled in that group.

As far as guilty pleasures go, I know a **** ton of disney songs many sang by disney princesses no less and go around singing them. Now those are really top notch songs. No one has a problem remembering those yet they aren't overly formulated and poppy. I know all the words to Gaston's song from Beauty and the Beast as well as "Paint With All the Colors of the Wind" from Pocohontas. I don't own an Ipod though since I get too impatient and keep switching songs all the time.

I'll say something about the other songs later today or tommorow. Yes I listened to them seriously.

 

[Grunt]

Ive been listening to a lot of techno and HHC stuff recently.
some freshman sitting next to me picked up my headphones (my ipod was in my pocket but i didn't pause the song) and was listening to something, I don't remember, and started laughing and going "WTF IS THIS, STRIPPER MUSIC?!"
I was like, "no its techno/hardcore/whatever song was playing. have you never heard synthesized music or women singing?" He was too busy passing my headphones to his friends to answer. So I said, "I have 6k songs on here, Im sure i have something you like. Lemme guess, either Metallica, or Guns n Roses." He said something of approval and I just took back my headphones and said "I'm sure you do."

 

[huafei]

Wow! I’ve never heard of this before and I think they’re awesome!

 

[Ryan Ludovic]

I've never conformed to the lunacy of denying myself decent music because what is socially expected of me based off of my gender.

 

[Prawn]

Wow! I’ve never heard of this before and I think they’re awesome!

What exactly are you talking about

 

[Crimson King]

This thread is great for the Media Metropolis.