Examining an idea as complex as the place of women in music today, we are obliged to recall the greats: Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, Shania Twain, Sister Sledge, Debbie Harry, Alanis Morisette, Whitney Houston and of course the ever shocking Lady Gaga.
'Nina Simone, Patti Smith and Janis Joplin were true artists and they had exuberant personalities to match. They were outspoken and honest about themselves and the music they were making,' says Sue Shearman, who performs as an acoustic duo with violinist Charliah J Best and with New Tonic Press, who describe themselves as an 'alt-blues, indie-noise rock and dream pop band' from Hong Kong.
Women have used music as a way to voice their thoughts and opinions and have found themselves being heard when the person delivering the message is a rock goddess, acoustic poet or hip hop queen. In those guises they have proved themselves at least equals of their male equivalents.
Fleetwood Mac are a perfect example of the joining of the genders through music. Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks demonstrated the importance of such collaboration to the advancement of the music industry. This resonated through the past 20 years with bands such as The Cardigans, Garbage, Imogen Heap, No Doubt, Portishead and Paramore following in the footsteps of their icons. 'We wouldn't be where we are today without the women of the past paving the way,' says Tiffany Laue of Hong Kong-based bands Hungry Ghosts and Jade and the Stagger Swallows. 'Sexism is ... still very prominent in today's society ... [and] even more prominent in the past. Without these women opening up in all areas of expression, I don't know where we would be today. Being in a band, especially fronting a band of boys, does feel liberating and I hope I can inspire women of today too.'
Ivy Fernie of Dark Himaya, an alternative rock band in Hong Kong, echoes Laue's sentiments about the women who came before her: 'Through their creativity, influence and respect, they have made it possible for us to enjoy the current environment and have made us ready to influence and guide the next generation of female artists. Women are and always will be important to music because it is in our nature to express ourselves differently from men.'
Many of the female musicians we listen to today grew up listening to girl bands during the 90s, particularly the Spice Girls. The catchphrase 'Girl Power' was ingrained into young girls' beliefs of what a woman should strive for and this has carried through to the production of female music today. Destiny's Child singing about 'independent women' and creating a life for themselves without financial help from men stuck. Now more than ever, we are surrounded by female artists who appear to be the most powerful in show business: Adele, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, J Lo, Florence Welch, Rihanna, Katy Perry - the list goes on.