to ask what the hell happened to Meredith Brooks?

[FithColumnist]

Seriously, has there been no other strong female singer who doesn't play with her sexuality since 1997? Bloody Minaj and her anaconda do not count on so many levels...

[BitOfFun]

Fiona Apple?

[BitOfFun]

Lorde?

[BitOfFun]

Adele?

[FithColumnist]

Mainstream.

[BitOfFun]

Emilé Sandé?

[BitOfFun]

Paloma Faith?

[BitOfFun]

Lily Allen?

[BitOfFun]

Alicia Keys?

[BitOfFun]

Estelle?

[FithColumnist]

Lorde yes. Adele less so.

(Don't get me wrong, in Adele's case I fucking adore her music. I just mean a female singer who is not defining her music in the context of a man. And I have also just been told that Meredith Brooks is not an example of this. Arse. Am I going to have to go back to Cyndi Lauper? Or have I been blind-sided by the Spice Girls? Arseknackers, is this actually a futile exercise in shit music?)

[BitOfFun]

Amy Winehouse had a good run.

[BitOfFun]

X-posts. Yeah, it's perhaps a futile exercise. I'd love to know what you come up with. I'll have a think too

[FithColumnist]

Shit me Amy Winehouse. IAB totally U. Thank you for reminding of more singers to put on my youtube playlist.

(Except the poster who mentioned Paloma Faith. Since her cover of World in Union she is dead to me. Will you ask me to listen to Sam Smith next? Really?)

[BitOfFun]

I actually rather liked Dido, and Sia (before she got pretentious). But I'd challenge most male singers to not sing about romance or sex.

I've (sadly) discovered Kidz Bop recently, which is pop music stripped of rude references and the associated videos, replaced by tweenie Mouskateer-types flinging themselves around a stage. It's really just made me realise how awful the messages in pop are.

[BitOfFun]

I was in the car with my mum recently, listening to generic Radio 2 pap, and she remarked to me that "Isn't it weird the way all these songs were about possession and making you mine?"

It made me sad in a way, but pleased she'd clocked on to it and moved on.

[FithColumnist]

It is sodding depressing.

[FithColumnist]

Also totally forgot Cocknbullkid. Ashamed.

[StrawberryTeaLeaf]

Rumer

[StrawberrytallCake]

yabu

Laura Marling, Florence and the machine, Shirley Manson....

[Fadingmemory]

Duffy? Joss Stone?

[MythicalKings]

Kirsty MacColl just sneaks into your time frame.

Best female artist ever and taken too soon.

[StealthPolarBear]

I'm not sure I understand the question but gwen Stefani?

[StealthPolarBear]

Sheryl crow, who as far as I can tell sings mostly about drinking and getting drunk.

[MerdeAlor]

Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Bjork

Courtney Barnett

Daughter

Kate Bush

Laura Mvula

PJ Harvey

Etc etc etc

[GloriaSmellens]

I just mean a female singer who is not defining her music in the context of a man.

Surely Amy Winehouse was the master of defining her music in the context of a man?