Cardi B and Megan the Stallion’s WAP: Women Taking Control of Sexuality

Gender roles and gender expectations often play a role in the creation of a piece of music or how people respond to it. Carmen’s aria, for example, broke all the rules for how a woman should behave in front of a man she’s just met, which excited audiences through controversy. Cherubino’s aria, on the other hand, depicted a young boy obsessed with women–a behavior appropriate for a male teenager, even if he was played by an adult woman.
Along these same lines, for this blog I want you to find a piece of music from any genre in which the musician or group act in ways that seem appropriate for their gender or one in which the musician or group breaks away from traditional gender roles.
First, describe the music you chose by telling us about the artist/composer, genre, and time period. Next, tell us the gender roles that you want to discuss in relation to the music–for example, that boys don’t cry–and some examples of that gender role that you’ve seen in media or everyday life. Lastly, consider how the musical example either confirms or rejects that gender role, making sure to talk about a musical characteristic of the piece along with any other aspects of the performance that you find relevant, like the music video, lyrics, social context. Include a Youtube video or Spotify link to the piece you selected. If you aren’t sure how to go about this, look to the discussions of musical examples in Chapter 6 of the textbook.