I have had many complaints about the trends in popular music for years, but one of my biggest is the lack of a female generational voice.
We've had a few male artists the past three decades, from acts like Kurt Cobain and Eminem, that captured the music scene (I would like to insert Billy Corgan, but he doesn't get the respect or notoriety) and, now, I feel the emotional tide of a soft tone and pitch slip away to auto-tuned dance music.
Artists like Patsy Cline, Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon and Stevie Nicks didn't pave the path for girls to slut their way to the top with a pair of knee pads and glow-in-the-dark herpes on Saturday Night Live (*cough* Ke$ha *cough*).
These influential pioneers didn't like to tik-tok with a bottle of Jack, have "bad romances" or act "Fergilicious." Instead, they wanted to go walking after midnight, earn a little respect, not care about clouds in their coffee and stand on the edge of seventeen.
So who is to take on the torch that flickers?
The 80s and beyond saw an explosion of female artists topping charts. However, Whitney Houston (damn crack!), Madonna (damn Kaballah!) and Mariah Carey (breakdown) were only followed by the flood gates for more sex appeal that Britney Spears &' Co. ran rampant with instead of relying on talent and quality (this is why Beyoncé doesn't work. Too many image responsibilities).
But I have a nominee too: Katy Hudson.
"Who is that?" you may ask, but you may know her as Katy Perry (stay with me here).
Just a few short years ago, Katy Hudson was a shy teen under contract making gospel records, living a devout Christian life and fighting acne. Fast forward to present day and she is kissing girls and liking it, spraying whip cream out her chest and living a "Teenage Dream."
Coming off as outspoken, controversial and even as a diva, she doesn't exactly fit the mold of those before her, but she is a coke habit and a terrible marriage away from being the Stevie Nicks of our time.
After seeing her in raw form without the wigs, outspoken attitude and distracting outfits on MTV Unplugged, I was impressed by an unbelievable set filled with emotion, sincerity, and limitless talent (see Fountains of Wayne cover, "Hackensack").
Plus, she supposedly threatened to get pregnant and not tour if she couldn't get a better record deal. Sounds greedy, but musicians make a fortune from touring and fractions of dollars from sales. This sounds like she is someone who cares about the path of her music more than money like Pink did.
Hopefully, this rebellion stage of her life now is filling the void of not having one as a 16-year-old Christian artist.
As the maturity comes (she is only 24 and she quickly became famous), its possible that her views will expand, her aspirations will broaden and her creative juices will overflow, creating a female artist that fights against the current of conformity and trends.
Besides, it would be a shame to hear her amazing voice wasted on auto-tune and bubblegum pop that has no lasting legacy.
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