Music by women for 14 year old niece?

[PossiblyPattio]

She often visits and i'd like to introduce her to some empowering female role models, she loves music so i'd like to find some for her to listen to, women who go against patriarchal standards and can inspire her.
I'm thinking Patti Smith (BIIGGG FAN ) but i'm not sure if it would be appropriate? I got into her at around 16 but a lot of her music is quite deep and heavy but I think she was, and is, a brilliant woman who certainly goes against standards!!
Would appreciate some requests, thank you!!

KT Tunstall

My go tos since that age are Kate Bush, Joan Armatrading, Grace Jones, Nina Simone, Dolly Parton. And then the soul greats - Aretha, Gladys Knight, Staple Singers.

Agree that Carly Simon is a very underrated songwriter.

I’m so happy to see so many tori fans on here! (Some of you may recognise my username 😄). I’d second the recommendation for the strange little girls album from a feminist perspective - her cover of Eminem’s 97 bonnie and Clyde is really moving and chilling- told from the perspective of the woman he’d killed in the trunk of the car wondering what will happen to her daughter left with this man. The cover of I’m not in love also really makes you realise what a sinister song the original is. On a lighter note her imagining of slayer’s raining blood as a huge vagina bleeding in the sky was interesting to say the least 😄.

The album got a lot of stick from (male) critics at the time but hearing the songs men write about women reflected back from a woman’s perspective really opened my eyes to the casual misogyny of a lot of the music i hear every day.

PJ Harvey
Garbage
Skunk Anansie

Nina Simone.

I love most of the suggestions myself, but I'm not sure that a 14 year old girl in 2020 will necessarily have much connection with Poly Styrene's music from 1978 - that would be like playing a 1978 teenager music from 1936.
Please try not to lecture her about why this music is brilliant and important, just tell her it is what you like.

I have a complete girl crush on Sleater-Kinney, and they're amazing live when the pandemic is over. Savages might be good for teenage angst but are a bit sweary. I think I'd have loved them at 14 though!

My dad used to listen to Maddy Prior when I was a kid, and I loved her too. Folk music can be surprisingly feminist. There are loads of modern singer song-writers aorund like Cate Le Bon, St Vincent, Ellie Golding, Laura Marling and Julia Jacklin.

@Butterer interesting, I hadn’t heard that about cornflake girl. Blood rises is definitely about fgm and is a fantastic song. Me and a gun is another amazing feminist song about her assault by a “fan” - trigger warning though that it’s quite distressing in its graphic description of rape, I love it but find it hard to listen to even 30 years after it came out

Blood roses not rises! (Bloody autocorrect)

Joni Mitchell
Courtney Barnett
Roisin Murphy

Hole

My DD's loved Taylor swift at that age, also marina and the diamonds, Carrie Underwood, Lana del ray, sia. Loads of female artists and you can find plenty with appropriate lyrics

My favourites as a teen, and still absolutely love them now:

Kate Bush
Annie Lennox
Alison Moyet
The unforgettable Kirsty Maccoll
Grace Jones

Whoops posted too soon

Regina Spektor
Fiona Apple
Feist
Imogen Heap

Christine & the Queens, King Princess, London Grammar. Was also going to say Florence

Oh how about Kate Nash?

X Ray Spex had a song "Identity", I think given the issues and challenges facing women and feminism these days, it remains could be relevent. I have a 14 year old myself who loves Poly Styrene and when I was 14, I loved 1950s music from Ella Fitzgerald and Mahalia Jackson.

Liz Phair

What about Lorde?

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ani DiFranco, but maybe she's been "cancelled" for some reason I don't know about.

Also look at those who performed as part of the Lilith Fair tours, all women with strong voices!