Women’s History Month has come back around, and I figured that I would keep up my tradition from last year. Last March, I wrote about women in writing and so, in honor of this time of year, I have decided to tell you—dear reader—about some of the women in the music industry that have been taking up space in my brain recently.

There are obviously the women who have been dominating the music industry recently: Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo. Everyone has likely heard the names at this point—or at least would recognize some songs on the radio—and for good reason! They are all very good at what they do, but there are other female artists that I think also deserve some recognition.

One such artist is one who had a song that was all over TikTok a couple of years ago: Paris Paloma. She is a British singer-songwriter most well known for her song “Labour” about the mistreatment and hardships of women, particularly in toxic relationships with men. Her other songs such as “the fruits,” “It’s Called: Freefall,” and “last woman on earth” have the similarly dark and heavy sound that I personally enjoy. I generally enjoy her lyricism, particularly the poetic nature of her words and the imagery she creates.

Another artist that I have been enjoying listening to is Biz Barclay. I originally knew her for her extensive video essays on YouTube, though their music is also very pleasant—in a melancholic sort of way. The melodies may be light and lilting, though the lyrics are often of heartache and sadness, and a very specific, very beautiful feeling is created through this contrast. Her newest single, “Carried Away,” captures this quite well, I think. The references and imagery present in the lyrics are captivating and the incredibly unique promotion for the single (an hour-long video essay analyzing it line by line under the guise of it being a song by another artist) make the song very memorable.

Finally, The Crane Wives is a women-led musical group (though not all women) that started in the indie folk scene but has slowly transitioned more into the rock genre. Their most recent album “Beyond Beyond Beyond” was released last September and, though it is not my favorite album of theirs, it is still very good and definitely shows their more recent leaning towards rock. My personal favorites are some of their earlier albums—“Coyote Stories” and “The Fool in Her Wedding Gown”—which still have the rock influence, but are still a bit more indie folk at times.

Speaking of which, as this rounds out to a close, I will admit that, because this list is centered around my personal taste, the music tends to lean towards indie pop/rock than any other genre. This is obviously not everyone’s personal taste, but as one of those “I will listen to anything” people, I still highly recommend listening even if it is not your normal sound.