Are we in the ‘femininomenon’ era?

If you spend a lot of time online, then you’re probably familiar with Chappell Roan’s ‘Good Luck Babe’, a song that is all about breaking up with someone who isn’t ready to come out of the closet. The song has quickly gone viral and reached at least a billion phone screens around the world. But amid its growing popularity, we can’t help but reminisce about another underrated album by the artist, Rise and Fall of Midwest Princess. Released last September, the album centres on themes of love, heartbreak, and embracing one’s queer identity. One of the tracks on the album, ‘Femininomenon’ especially garnered a lot of attention, and for all the right reasons. It addresses the fact that the artist has more fulfilling relationships with women as compared to men. 

Although the song released last year, Roan’s ‘Good Luck Babe’ supposedly prompted the popularity of the term, ‘femininomenon’ in a broader context, referring to a feminist revolution. People have been sharing online stories about the rise of women and their narratives, which has given new weightiness to the term and the song. As a result, ‘femininomenon’ has become a rallying cry for the empowerment of women and the queer community.

The femininomenon era 

Looking back at the past few months, it’s evident that 2024 has been a standout year for female artists in the music industry. Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour, Sabrina Carpenter’s viral hit ‘Please Please Please’ from her album Short n Sweet, Beyoncé’s triumphant comeback with the Renaissance series, Lana Del Rey’s performance at Coachella, Ariana Grande’s ‘Eternal Sunshine’ topping the Billboard charts, Billie Eilish’s ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ dominating playlists, and Charli XCX’s album Brat setting new trends, all underscore the fact that this year has truly been a celebration of female talent. Safe to say that 2024 has been the year of females or should we say femininomenon?

The 66th Annual Grammys reflected the femininomenon trend, where seven out of eight artists nominated in all major categories were women. Not only did a majority of these female artists emerge as top performers but also took home major awards. Taylor Swift made history as the first artist to win Album of the Year four times with her album Midnights while SZA and American indie band, Boygenius took home three Grammys each in one night for the first time.

These achievements demonstrate that women have reached the pinnacle of success in the music industry. However, as with any situation, there are complexities that need to be addressed. According to a report on gender equality in the music industry by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, while women’s participation in music creation has improved in some areas, it still lags in several key metrics. Despite winning many awards and receiving nominations in major categories, women remain notably absent in roles such as Producer of the Year; 94 per cent of the songs evaluated did not have a female producer. This data raises concerns about inclusivity and diversity, impacting roles from engineering and sound mixing, to boardrooms, investing, and music ownership and production. So, while have stepped on the stone, we still have a long way to go when it comes to representation. 

The lack of representation, particularly among producers and songwriters, has long been a reality in the industry. This issue is attributed to several key factors: sexism, impostor syndrome, or self-doubt related to feeling out of place, and unreported or unresolved cases of mistreatment.

As one might expect, there have been industry-level discussions and initiatives, such as the Recording Academy’s ‘Women in the Mix’ pledge, which encourages members to collaborate with female producers or engineers on their projects. However, despite these efforts, the impact has been minimal, and the initiative is generally considered unsuccessful.

2024, the year of female voice 

In the broader entertainment industry, women have indeed achieved remarkable success, as evidenced by the impact of the Barbie movie. Not forgetting the rise of influential new artists like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Renée Rap, Madison Beer, and Billie Eilish, who not only shaped popular culture but also contributed to its evolution.

This generation of women has embraced their passions and emotions with confidence, expressing themselves in ways that are both confessional and celebratory. From melancholic to exuberant, all forms of expression are being embraced. This openness is what contributed to the rise of artists like Chappell Roan, who experienced a staggering 12,200 per cent increase in streams, going from 1,30,000 daily streams (last year) to 16 million in June 2024. Her album celebrates her journey through queerness, isolation, and melancholy, while also proudly owning her experiences, which has propelled it to number five on the Billboard 200 this year.

Pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter has also seen a remarkable rise, moving from 11.6 million to 86.9 million followers. Meanwhile Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have sold out stadiums with their highly successful tours, the Renaissance Tour and The Eras Tour respectively. Over the past two years, women have not only dominated the charts and won prestigious awards but have also been at the forefront of a cultural renaissance. Their success is a testament to their reinvention of the industry and their relentless drive.

Lead image credit: Getty Images// Kevin Winter

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