Happy International Women’s Day! Check out these badass international female musicians that you should listen to today
Ibeyi
Ibeyi is a French musical duo composed of twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz. The sisters sing in four languages, including French, English, Spanish, and Yoruba. Their music can be best described as jazz with beats influenced by Afro-Cuban and French culture. Their 2022 album, Spell 31, was described by Pitchfork as a syncretic celebration of sounds and traditions that shimmers with color and joy. If that’s not enough of a selling point to check out this dynamic duo, then we don’t know what is.
Netta
Netta Barzilai, the Israeli singer who goes by the stage name Netta, rose to fame after winning the 2018 Eurovision song contest with her song “Toy.” Her music ranges from a combination of pop, R&B, and hip-hop. She somehow finds a way to perfectly combine low-fi chill beats with uptempo melodies that creates truly hypnotic music. Netta’s newest singles prove that her Eurovision win was not a grand finale for her, but only the beginning.
Oumou Sangaré
Oumou Sangaré is a name you need to know if you don’t already. Not only has the Malian singer won a Grammy, but she’s also earned her own nickname by fans and members of her community, “The Songbird of Wassoulou.” The star’s music can best be described as “treading a fine line between her attachment to the traditional music of Wassoulou, the region of Mali which she hails from, and technological dislocation.” Her newest album, Timbuktu, will be released on April 29th, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Noga Erez
Noga Erez is an Israeli alternative/electronic musician whose work has been influenced by legends such as Björk and Kendrick Lamar. Erez’s unique music style has caught the attention of some of the greats, including rapper and feminist icon Missy Elliot. Her newest single, “NAILS,” is a collaboration between the two, and its punchy, bubblegum beats and lyrics make this a track you need to hear right now.
CHAI
If you’re looking for a rock band that sounds like a combination of ABBA and Tame Impala, it’s your lucky day. Mana, Kana, Yuki, and Yuna make up CHAI, a Japanese rock band setting out on a mission to redefine what it means to be “cute.” In an interview with Pitchfork, the group explained that they see themselves as ““Neo-Kawaii,” or “New Cute”—a phrase they coined to signal a move towards the embrace and celebration of human imperfection.” In fact, the very first song they wrote together, “Gyaranboo,” is about embracing and loving your body hair. How cool is that?
Moonchild Sanelly
Sanelisiwe Twisha, known by her stage name, Moonchild Sanelly, is a South African musician who created the genre “future ghetto punk.” While rocking her signature blue afro, Sanelly has been effortlessly transgressing genre boundaries in music. She went from being nominated at the 22nd Annual South African Music Awards for Best Alternative Album, to joining forces with Beyonce for her hip-hop anthem, “MY POWER”. Moonchild Sanelly is a true trailblazer in the music industry, and we feel so lucky we get to reap the musical benefits of her unique creative vision.
Pomme
Pomme is a French indie pop singer whose voice could best be described as “bewitching.” Her debut album, À peu près, released in 2017, received widespread critical acclaim. Pomme’s latest album, Consolation, was released in August of this past year and has been described as one of her most beautiful bodies of work yet. If you’re into folk-pop, Pomme is definitely an artist that should be on your radar.
Elisapie
Elisapie, born Elisapie Isaac, is a Canadian-Inuk musician whose recent cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” is making waves. The true title of this cover is “Uumati Attanarismat,” as the artist sings the song beautifully in the language of Inuktitut. Elisapie has also been creating astounding original music for years as well. Her 2018 album, The Ballad of the Runaway Girl, garnered her a Juno Award nomination for Indigenous Music Album of the Year.
Vava
Vava is the stage name of Chinese rapper Mao Yanqi. Vava has been winning over audiences in both China and internationally for years now and garnered an even larger platform after the rapper’s song “My New Swag” was featured on the soundtrack for the 2018 blockbuster hit Crazy Rich Asians. Her fun, upbeat songs such as her single “New World,” prove that not only is Vava an artist to watch, but also one that will be around for a long time.
Sevdaliza
Sevadaliza is an Iranian-Dutch singer-songwriter, who also happens to be a record producer, director, and visual artist. Talk about a quintuple threat. Throughout her discography, Sevadaliza demonstrates both that she is one of the most interesting artists out there, and also that she cares about other women! One of Sevadaliza’s newest songs, “Women Life Freedom,” is a powerful anthem that shows support for the women who have been fighting oppression from patriarchy in Iran for years, as well as “oppressed women around the world”
Top Photo: Suleika Muller courtesy Ibeyi
