Current female singers that don't use good looks and sexuality?

[mids2019]

I was having a discussion with my daughter's about dining, specifically women, and both said you have to be good looking and sexy to be a singer. The girls quoted Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Due Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae etc. as exmaples. To my heart's dismay I had to agree......It all was tipped off by Olivia Rodrigo's nurses dress in her newest video.

Looking at the men though the likes of Ed Sheeran, Sam Fender,Alex Warren etc. can get away with jeans and a jacket. The double standards are quite apparent and I feel that girls with good singing voices are being dissuaded from careers in music because of a false impression you need to be attractive and willing to use your sexuality to make it in a career.

An I over reacting or is their an inherent sexism and exploration in the music industry?

I don’t disagree but I don’t think that this is something new…

CMAT

Billie Eilish. She always does that odd eye flickering thing too.

Olivia Dean?

Check out Yebba. Absolutely insane voice. Just her and her microphone.

I agree with Billie Eilish and CMAT (though CMAT does get trolled about her weight).

Sia, Billy Eilish and Florence Welch.

Olivia Dean isn't exactly bad looking but agree she maybe is a little less provocative??

Lola young

Lizzie McAlpine. Really talented.

You’re
completely right and it’s really depressing. I guess Lola Young is unequivocally herself. I can’t name many more. Female singers have to titillate the old music label creeps to get a deal, sadly

Florence definitely......though you could pigeon hole her as Indy so a little less popular?

Have a listen to Rory! She's fab and looks funky rather than traditionally sexy.

Isn't Lola Young positioning herself as an antidote to the obvious use of looks and sex to sell female.music? I think she has been quite savvy in sending that there is a portion of female music audience that is a bit fed up of the likes of Zara Larsson and want something more real?

Billie Eilish, Florence from Florence and the Machine, Wet Leg, Holly Humberstone, Amy McDonald, Natasha Bedingfield, Pink, and Adele don’t particularly trade on looking ‘sexy’, but I know what you mean, and I think it can undermine the credibility of the artist (although it doesn’t stop them selling records). I’d love to see someone like Sabrina Carpenter looking strong and feisty, for example. I think that would be fantastic. Men dressing sexily was mostly confined to the boy bands of the ‘90s and early 2000s where they all looked like the ‘before’ in a male stripping troup.

Thanks for all the suggestions....

And Freya Ridings of course, whose father is Daddy Pig in Peppa Pig!

I agree with this but do all those artists get a lot of attention now (e.g. pink)?

Raye is phenomenal. Gorgeous as well but not routinely dressed in a bikini. It’s the very famous mainstream American female singers that seem to be very sexual in the way they dress etc imo; British singers less so.

https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/uk-top-40-singles-chart/

this is the current top 40 and I would dare anyone to pick out a female artist that wasn't good looking........

the irony is that we have some very good singers in our family but part from being in a choir there is little opportunity in the music industry even if you are creative because of the 'lion's barrier.

Alanis Morrisette.

Taylor Swift.

Both of the above are attractive but position themselves as songwriters.

CMAT and Paris Paloma (supported Florence Welch on tour)

I agree and it s not a great direction imho. The is a great singer but even though not absolutely provocative is rarely seen in something that can't be described as clingy to show her curves.

Phoebe Bridgers!

Paris Paloma I agree with but isn't this an example of a good musician (who also is good looking) that maybe is relegated to second tier because of the conscious decision to well.....wear normal clothing?