Every 8th of March, International Women’s Day celebrates women’s rights and, more importantly, reminds everyone about the battles that still need to be fought. And there are many: equal pay, health and reproductive freedom, access to education… The cultural world, and de facto the music field, aren’t spared from discrimination, as the sector is still mainly run by men – on stage, in label offices or behind the technical consoles.
Something that is rare enough to be worthy of note: the vast majority of Europavox.com’s team is female, as are a large proportion of its journalists. And on a broader scale, things are slowly getting better, as more and more female and non-binary artists, executives or sound engineers are evolving in the scene. But we haven’t reached parity yet. They need support and exposure, while young girls crave for more role models. So we asked six of our female journalists to share who they would like to highlight on this 8th of March. Discover ten European bands and artists who moved them, drawing into their femininity to invoke strength, emotions, and amazing music.
Noémie Lecoq (France)
Marta Del Grandi – Italy [Supported by Europavox]
After her breakthrough album ‘Until We Fossilize’ (2021), Italian singer-songwriter Marta Del Grandi spread her wings even more on ‘Selva’ (2023), a magnificent record showcasing her taste in intimate folk, voluptuous torch-songs, elegant jazz and delicate electro-pop. A true masterclass on how to transform your vulnerability into strength and sheer beauty.
Fever Ray – Sweden
Once a founding member of The Knife, the Swedish songwriter and producer Karin Dreijer has long been on a quest for self-reinvention and new explorations as Fever Ray. One of the most fascinating masterminds of the contemporary electronic scene, she has a unique, ever-changing voice.
Susanna La Polla De Giovanni (Italy)
FO-SHO – Ukraine [Supported by Europavox]
I’ve been lucky enough to have seen the two FO-SHO sisters perform at Europavox Festival in Clermont-Ferrand in 2022, and their show was impeccable. They truly amazed me with their sharp rhymes, smooth vocals, and fierce attitude. What’s more is that these talented young Ukrainian-Ethiopian girls, now living as refugees in Stuttgart, penned a song to raise awareness about the ongoing war in their country (‘U Cry Now’) and took part in the UNHCR documentary series ‘We Were Here’.
Mélanie De Biasio – Belgium/Italy
Among Italian musicians, an artist that I really find inspiring is Italo-Belgian singer and composer Mélanie De Biasio, whose latest work ‘Il Viaggio’, a mystical journey written, recorded and produced part in Italy, part in Belgium and part in the US, is pure poetry.
Maro Angelopoulou (Greece)
Someone Who Isn’t Me – Greece [Supported by Europavox]
Someone Who Isn’t Me are a queer feminist band from Athens. Their music is wrapped in 80s darkwave, gargling electro-pop sounds, and themes of identity and liberation. Anti-authoritarian qualities (‘Graveyards’) and urban narratives (‘Summer In Athens’) come together with romantic stories against toxic masculinity (‘Gomenaki’), alongside the band’s main themes of celebration of womanhood (‘Pinku’), encouraging women to reach their full intellectual and spiritual potential. Love – as a source of pleasure and as the triumph of the heart over human darkness – has always been at the core of their songwriting. ‘A Girl Like This’, a sensual listening experience about a fem to fem love story, is the first single from their upcoming second album, ‘Heartbreaker’.
Rea Hadžiosmanović (Croatia)
Jorja Smith – UK [Supported by Europavox]
For many of us, times of falling asleep to lullabies are long gone, but if grown-ups needed a soothing voice to guide them into their dreams, I would definitely stick to Jorja. This extraordinary singer and songwriter from England navigates confidently through jazz, soul, R&B, UK garage and grime genres, as showcased in her two studio albums, ‘Lost & Found’ and last year’s ‘Falling or Flying’. With a blend of vulnerability akin to Amy Winehouse and the smoothness of Sade, Jorja possesses all the qualities to make a huge impact.
SUN U – Croatia
A musical Swiss army knife – that’s what this talented lady is! Sanja Šiljković, known as SUN U, is a Croatian music and visual artist who has been on the music scene for over a decade. With two albums behind her and one currently in the works, Sanja takes control of the entire creative process: from songwriting, playing, and recording multiple instruments, to singing, arranging, producing, mixing, and mastering her songs. Inspired by electronic, pop, and trip-hop music from the UK and Scandinavia, her songs are reminiscent of artists like Röyksopp, Everything But The Girl, and Disclosure. But that’s not all! SUN U is also a graphic designer: the entire visual component of her work as well as her live performances are pieces of art in themselves!
Eliza Nita (Romania)
ZIMBRU – Romania [Supported by Europavox]
ZIMBRU’s ability to conjure scenes of spectral beauty through their music has never collided with their ambition to find scattered signs of change in a world that does not agree with them. There are no conundrums, à la Taylor Swift, as to whether they want to express their stance on whatever might be plaguing Romanian society at that moment. They’re not afraid of the power the action of them speaking out might have or if there will be consequences. The possibility that their fans won’t buy tickets for their shows anymore because of their advocacy doesn’t keep them up at night. Speaking out on issues that matter isn’t done as a marketing ploy either; lending their voice to certain causes stems from genuine conviction, not the desire to win over new listeners. It all comes naturally to them. As Western far-right voices mourn the death of apolitical art (assuming such a thing ever existed), Zimbru’s music shows that you don’t have to sacrifice your true self in the name of activism. There are synths and percussion at the end of the tunnel.
Clémence Meunier (France)
Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys – Germany [Supported by Europavox]
That show was definitely one of my best moments of 2023. Surrounded by my colleagues from Europavox and INmusic’s team (Europavox’s Croatian partners), I watched Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys play at Club Mochvara!, a cool alternative Zagreb venue. The entire event, Europavox Festival Zagreb’s second night dedicated to rock and pop bands, was impeccable. But something happened with Lucy Kruger. From the very first guitar sound, the very first cello note, the South Africa-born, Berlin-based performer looked straight in the eyes – and the soul – of the mesmerized audience. She screamed, she howled, she unsettled, she stirred something deep inside. It’s rock, stoner, trippy music, with Nick Cave influences and empowering lyrics about femininity. But most of all, it’s an avalanche of feelings, a shot of rage, strength, and discomfort. I was so overwhelmed that yep, I cried. Not of sadness, but because my mind felt too small to welcome so many emotions. The mark of a great artist.
Zaho de Sagazan – France [Supported by Europavox]
A handful of songs was enough to bring her name into every French music lovers’ conversations. To the point where Zaho de Sagazan was already a national phenomenon when she released her debut album ‘La Symphonie des éclairs’ in March 2023. The reason is obvious: Zaho de Sagazan’s work, a driven blend of French “chanson” and electronic music, with touching and mature lyrics delivered with immaculate elocution, can be energizing, or moving, and even both at the same time. A beacon of strength, charisma, and talent, both on stage and in the studio, she is ready to conquer international hearts. Her writing is excellent, but you don’t need to speak French to be impressed by her performances.
