Alternative music is always changing. We’re always hearing something new, something exciting, something fresh. In the past, the people at the forefront of the music scene were always men. We had stars like Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, and My Chemical Romance. We’ve had Jack White. We’ve had Billie Joe Armstrong. Don’t get me wrong, though. We have had a handful of women breaking through the alternative music scene. For example, in the past decade or so we’ve seen the rise of Hayley Williams of Paramore, Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, and Marina and The Diamonds. While these ladies still gained the spotlight in the sea of guyliner-wearing, talented, alternative men, these past few years have shown the rise of some new powerful women within the alternative scene. All of their music has been unique in some way. They’ve provided us with beats we’ve never heard before. Here is a compiled list of 11 women in alternative music who are changing the game.
Bishop Briggs - Bishop Briggs, who’s real name is Sarah Grace Mclaughlin, is one of my personal favorites on the list. Bishop is a London born musician, and with only a few EPs out, she is already showing us music that is completely unique to her. She’s best known for her single ‘River’, which exhibits her powerful voice and musical ability. She’s gained a decent following since 2015, over 100K followers, and she hasn’t even released an album. She’s opened for a few of our favorites in the alternative world, like Alt-J, Bleachers, and New Politics. With an already large amount of exposure, and a lingering taste of what she’s already capable of, we’re very excited for Briggs’ debut album, Church Of Scars. (Genre: Alternative Pop/Alternative Rock).
K. Flay - This Chick really is in a league of her own. When I say I’ve never heard anyone like K. Flay, I genuinely mean that. She is insane. She has two albums out currently, and both are crazy good. K. Flay’s songs give me major dystopian-movie-with-an-angsty-teenage-protagonist vibes. Her music is intense and loud and bizarre. K. Flay is fastly growing, and people are jumping on board quick. Listening to Flay gives you an experience no other can. She’s best known for her single ‘Blood in the Cut’, which is intense and awesome as it sounds. (Genre: Alternative Hip-Hop/Independent).
Maddy Ellwanger - If I could describe Maddy Ellwanger in one word, it’d be this: What? First of all, I genuinely spend time wondering if she’s even human. How one person could come up with the things she does I will never know. Her music is downright weird. Her vocals are shaky and inhuman, and the music is almost eerie. While strange, Maddy’s music is inexplicably charming and enjoyable. As if now, she’s sitting at just over 13K followers, but we’re expecting her to see a surge in popularity in the next few years. (Genre: Alternative/Indie).
Poppy - This. Girl. Poppy is unlike anyone else. Although Poppy initially gained a following on youtube for her unexplainable, bizarre videos, the artist also makes music. Anyone who follows Poppy knows her goal is to be super famous and spread love and happiness to everyone. Her music has a very pop-sound, but her lyrics and presentation let her break into the Alternative Pop genre. Now, if you thought she acts normal in person, or in concert, you’re terribly mistaken. Alexis and I (Carly) went to see Poppy on her tour, in Columbus, and she was just as puzzling as her youtube videos. Poppy has been a complete breakout, sitting at 745K on instagram and over a million subscribers on youtube. (Genre: Alternative/Pop/Alt-Pop).
Hayley Kiyoko - Hayley Kiyoko is a beautiful musician. She embraces herself as an individual and makes inspiring music. In her music, she writes about girls. She’s one of the only ones out there who explicitly sings about the same sex. Her best known song is ‘Girls Like Girls’. She’s another one on this list who is opening up for one of our favorite alternative artists, Panic! At the Disco. If you’re younger, you may also know her from a popular Disney film Lemonade Mouth. Kiyoko currently has a follower count of over 800K. (Genre: Alternative Pop/Pop).
Tierra Whack - Tierra Whack stands apart from all the others on this list, simply because she is an alternative rapper. She creates a different sound from other rappers, and she embraces this in her music. Currently all she has out are songs, but they are all really good. I’m not a big rap-person myself, but Tierra’s music is something I can vibe to. I expect Tierra to be a front-runner in all of the alternative rap scene. She’s really talented and relatable, and takes being a female in a mostly male dominated community with pride. (Genre: Alternative Rap/Alternative Hip-Hop/Rap)
Billie Eilish - Billie Eilish has blown up this year. Her debut single, ‘Ocean Eyes’ went viral, racking up over 35 million streams on Spotify. Her debut EP, Don’t Smile at Me was a hit upon release as well. Eilish also recently kicked off her first tour, which began in San Francisco. What makes Eilish even more impressive? She’s only 16! She’s pounding out eerie and haunting music at such a young age. Who knows what she’ll be capable of in her career? She’s got over a million followers already on instagram, and is selling out shows. She’s quite impressive, and has already made her position as an alternative artist clear. Watch out! She’s sneaking up the charts and she’s ready for alternative-world domination! (Genre: Alternative/Alternative Pop).
Halsey - Halsey already is one of the female faces of modern alternative music, so we had to put her on here. People love her. And why wouldn’t they? She’s really talented. Her debut album, Badlands, was killer. The album felt like it should have been turned into a sci-fi film. Halsey has well over a million followers, and is still growing. Her music is versatile, and appeals to many audiences. If you like alternative music, you can jam to her. If you like pop music, you can still jam to her. Halsey is a strong example of blending those two genres in a balanced way. She sure knows how to appeal to a large audience. (Genre: Alternative/Alternative Pop).
Melanie Martinez - First off, please don’t get mad we put her on here. Many in the alternative scene know she was accused of raping her ex-friend,Timothy Heller. The fact of the matter is that that’s all it is: An allegation. People may think she shouldn’t make our list because of this, but this is about music. There’s no denying that Melanie is at the front of the alternative scene. Her freshman album Crybaby was more than a hit. People went crazy for it. She has over 4 million followers on Instagram, and many fans are still anticipating her sophomore album release. With many loyal followers, there’s no doubt that Melanie will hit the charts once again. She’s been an influential voice in the alternative scene, and that hasn’t changed as of late. (Genre: Alternative/Alt-Pop).
Dodie - Dodie is an English singer/songwriter. She makes music that’s very light sounding, although the lyrics are deeper. If you’re looking for easy-listening, Dodie is the person to look to. Her voice is really soft and pretty, and the music behind her is bouncy and fun. Dodie has just under 1 M followers on Instagram, and well over a million subscribers on youtube. She has a loyal and friendly fanbase, mirroring her own personality. We can’t wait to see what Dodie does next! (Genre: Alt-Pop/Indie Pop/Alt-Indie).
Lorde - Lorde’s debut single Royals sent her skyrocketing to fame, got her in with Taylor Swift’s crew, and let her have a world tour. After getting one album, just a taste of what was to come from Lorde, we had to wait FOUR years before hearing another peep from her. We’re glad she finally came back though, because Melodrama was a stellar album. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another four years for her Junior album. (Genre: Alt-Pop/Pop/Alternative).
Honorable Mentions: Liza Anne, Lucy Dacus, Dua Lipa, FKA Twigs, Grimes, Amy Shark, Grace, HANA, Harley Huke, Julien Baker, King Princess, Lisa Hannigan, Shura, No Frills Twins
Written By: Carly Wood
April 5, 2018
