Gender and music!

Genders have always played a big part in growing up. I would always hear “Boys don’t play with dolls” or “girls can’t play with cars” or pink is for girls or blue is for boys. Why do people see things this way? Growing up my favorite color was and still is blue and I had a huge collection of hot wheels!  In the world of music, gender stereotypes manifest in various ways. For example: if I were to ask you who you thought of when I say pop music, the most common answer would be a female artist such as Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande. Why, Because the gender roles that our society has placed over the years, says this is the way it should be. The truth is most people think of pop as a female dominated music genre when there is a countless number of male artists that have contributed to the pop culture genre and have been just as success as the female artist in the pop genre.  

When most people think of pop music, they most likely think of a female artist like Katy Perry.  One of her most popular songs “Teenage Dream” comes to mind because it reminds you of your youth and how exciting young love is. Who doesn’t like to remember those good times? The upbeat tempo and infectious chorus create an atmosphere that invites listeners to sing along, dance and to lose themselves in the music moment. For this reason, it has made its way into the playlists as a staple at parties and summer gatherings. It is well known that Katy Perry has a very powerful voice. There is a reason she is one of the most well-known pop artists of today.  

But let’s not get carried away on female artists when we have male pop artists who can steal the stage. Bruno mars is generally not someone you would think about when you hear pop, but he is an influential male in the pop community. In his songs like “Just the way you are” and” When I was your man” he expresses vulnerability and some affectionate emotions which are often characterized as feminine. With that being said, he is able to connect with both female and male listeners because he makes relatable music. He shows emotions through his songs. Typically thinking of a male singing in pop you would think of hard and fast music but Bruno mars kind of broke out of that and combined a bunch of styles and made it into one