Women's History Month 2024: A Lookback

Written by Meg Clemmensen

Graphic by Rebekah Witt

What a month! I can confidently look back on my journey in the music industry that began seven years ago and recognize how much more prominent of a place femme power has made for itself within the scene. We’ve seen women dominating tour and album sales in that time, and we’ve seen intersectional and empowering anthems being released in the mainstream media flow—Lizzo’s “Grrrls,” MARINA’s “Man’s World,” and Dua Lipa’s “Boys Will Be Boys,” to name a few. Non-men are reclaiming their spaces in a scene that was once centered around the male gaze, and we love to see it. Women’s History Month provides those of us forging these spaces for young women to come with the opportunity to reflect back on our progress.

So, what do we have to celebrate this month? The heartbreaking ballad of womanhood, “What Was I Made For?” earned yet another esteemed title at the Academy Awards. Billie Eilish’s raw and emotional performance was one of the standouts of 2023’s feminist movie of the year, Barbie, and it simply continues to dominate. We surpassed the one-year mark since the beginning of The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift’s ongoing career-spanning concert tour. Upon announcement, it became clear the demand for this tour was going to be quite large, but what may not have been so easy to foresee is the sheer number of records it broke, becoming the highest-grossing tour of all time. Ariana Grande, FLETCHER, and Kacey Musgraves released new albums, all being some of the best pieces of work in their respective careers thus far. Songs by women dominated much of the global charts this month, including a mass resurgence of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 track “Murder On The Dancefloor,” and Beyoncé’s venture into the scope of country music with “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM.” On top of all that, KCM released our sixteenth issue, highlighting musical drag star Chappell Roan, which went on to be our highest-selling issue yet!

For me, Women’s History Month had a bit of a rocky start. After a rough breakup, I spent a little bit of money on myself and decided to take myself out for International Women’s Day as a newly independent girlie. I got in my car and drove myself to the big city (Toronto) for a night out on the town. The ROM, known to non-locals as the Royal Ontario Museum, was hosting a fun little “after-dark” event that I caught wind of via social media. The museum is home to art, nature, history, fashion, culture, and more from across the world. Not only that, but for the special day, they set up a stage within the highly non-traditional-for-music venue and hosted a one-night-only concert! For only $40, and on the rebound, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate my womanhood. When I arrived, the venue had been completely Barbie-ified — pink decor, photo booths, exclusive drinks, and snacks by a variety of vendors. The venue was filled with primarily women, and as I wandered each floor peeking at the exhibits before the music began, I was in awe of how many nonmen and supportive men came out for the occasion.

Because women are the best, I quickly made friends with a group of five folks around my age before the concert. I’m admittedly a bit socially awkward, but I was there alone, and the whole intent of the experience was to get myself out there, get over this guy, and celebrate myself. So, when I heard them talking about the main artist headlining, who I love and had seen once before, I inserted myself into their conversation just a little and was very quickly adopted by the whole pack for the night. The ever-so-talented Jordan Alexander took the stage first, a Canadian experimental-pop talent (with an extravagant outfit) who I’d never heard of before. Upon researching her further, I was shocked to discover how few officially released tracks are in her catalogue and that she’s an actress in Gossip Girl, which is what she’s best known for more so than her music! With only 390 monthly Spotify listeners, the single “Leaving Toronto” released in January and another single upcoming during the first week of April, this woman is absolutely one to watch. Plus, to give some more representation to our intersectional femmes, she’s an openly queer woman of colour! I got to enjoy her set while headbanging and hollering support (during the appropriate moments, of course) from the front of the audience with my new pals. I automatically love any woman wearing such a bold statement piece as the bulky black ensemble Alexander graced so gorgeously that night, so between that and her outstanding musical voice and stage presence, she earned a new fan from me.

Now, the main act was another fairly unknown name, but this glamorous gal is gaining prominence quite fast through her internet persona. Think 2010-2013 Kesha, mixed with a dash of Chappell Roan, a dash of Charli XCX, and a dash of Tate McRae, and you’ve got Lilyisthatyou. Lily’s following began to skyrocket during her promotional period for her debut single, “FMRN,” in 2021. Since then, she’s released quite the handful of glitter gel pen songs that are danceable, sexy, queer, and feminine. She specializes in being a girl’s girl, singing about female experiences and the necessity to put oneself first in relationships, especially those with men. Her admirable openness about her sexuality, addiction, and mental health is part of what makes her so relatable to her listeners, and she flaunts these values on stage as well as behind a screen. Born and raised in Toronto, Lily played her first-ever headlining show in the city in 2022, and I was lucky enough to be in attendance. This 2024 show, however, certainly garnered the largest audience out of any of her performances yet. Whether it be the circumstance of the occasion, the uniqueness of the venue itself, or an ode to her growth, a very neat energy surrounded the room during her performance that night.

When Lily took the stage, it was time for everyone to gather close and dance. With a small collection of songs, we heard her perform almost everything in her repertoire, plus some unreleased tunes. The Character and POP MUSIC are her two EPs, plus standalone tracks like “AURA,” which was actually so new that this was its debut live performance! I was particularly stoked to hear “RELAX AFTER WORK WITH A DRINK,” one of my favourite songs she put out over the past year, and let me tell you, she absolutely delivered. The aura she exudes while singing in front of an audience is exactly the same as it feels to stream her studio recordings. Swaying about in a frilly pink blouse and loads of glitter, she commanded the crowd to bring forth our maximum energy during her distinctive hyperpop hits.

Considering the fact that my recent breakup was from the very first serious relationship I’d ever been in (oh yeah, forgot to mention that part, didn’t I?), I was going through it. I was nervous to even be there, I was unsure of what emotions I was supposed to be feeling, if I was supposed to be rebounding that quickly, or if I should’ve spent the week wallowing instead of impulsively taking myself on a date. It didn’t take me long to be certain I made the right decision. There’s something ultra therapeutic about screaming ‘I’m a bad bitch, don’t wanna need no man’ and the beloved ‘Girls, if you’re listening, protect your peace and block him’ outro during “Do I Make You Nervous?” Highly recommend to anyone and everyone. While this piece isn’t meant to be a focus on Lilyisthatyou and how stunning she is, I’d be remiss to not properly acknowledge it. Every woman at that show who I spoke to about my reason for being there was so wonderfully kind and supportive, especially that group of five who took me under their wing. Everyone was there to celebrate girls and girlhood. When I asked someone to take my photo in the Barbie photo booth since I was there alone, three women nearly dropped everything they were carrying to help out. Regardless of the breakup and my aforementioned going through it, there was something so awesomely empowering about singing songs like “Competition,” an anthem against pitting women against each other, in a mostly female audience, with performers who constantly preach feminism. That level of safeness in a space is rarely achieved, and the fact that International Women’s Day brought together such a group of individuals in a fantastic space is beautiful.

With a newfound sense of confidence and self-understanding, I proceeded to celebrate the month by putting myself first and embracing my femininity. And yes, one of the ways I have done so is by binge-watching Hannah Montana. No judgment zone here. I saw the incredible Sophie Powers opening for Waterparks this month, and though I unfortunately missed the first couple of songs in her set because of how long and slow-moving the line to get into the venue was, I adored what I saw. The 19-year-old rocker seems so comfortable in her own skin, carving out her spot in the industry by whatever means necessary, creating her own branding and individualistic sound. We need more women like that, who live their lives so boldly and who aren’t afraid to be cut down a little bit on their route to domination. In an industry that was once so ravaged by egotistical men, we are seeing it more and more lately with upcoming stars. Women like Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus who once got so harshly condemned by the media that they felt they had no choice but to disappear, or ruthlessly defend themselves, are now coming back completely unapologetically, acknowledging that the system has no right to reduce their worth — and are bigger than ever for it!

I feel so consistently inspired by the women around me, whether they’re fighting tooth and nail in the music industry or pursuing other passions. To close out the month, I went back to Toronto once more to see one of 2024’s hottest tours, Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan. The night was another dazzling celebration of girlhood, with plenty of audience members my age or older, but also a surge of young fangirls who will dominate crowds for years to come like I did at their age. Both artists have beautiful tracks in their discography that serve as nods to the ins and outs of womanhood, like Roan’s “Femininomenon” and Rodrigo’s “pretty isn’t pretty.” The stage was filled with women musicians — both fronting the show and in the main talents’ bands, women in the crew, and a majority, if not the entirety, of both artists’ dancers were women. Fans connected with the heartfelt performances throughout the evening, and all artists involved put on what was quite frankly, a far more thoughtful piece of performance art than what I’ve ever seen from a man. The choreography and outfit changes were pulled off fantastically, and on the train home, all the chatter involved was the details of the show. It’s not unheard of, but it’s rare to see concerts turned into a spectacle by men in the same way that artists like Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, P!nk, etc, are known for. Combine that with the unapologetically feminine lyrics from the performers and it becomes clear to see that these girls will take every opportunity to flaunt who they are and become idols for girls around the world.

I am in awe of my fellow females daily, and having a month designated to reflect on it is such a wonderful opportunity for our patriarchal world to take a step back and focus on what’s important. International Women’s Day served as a catalyst for the empowerment I felt during the remainder of the month. I look to the women absolutely killing it in the music scene with complete awe, and I’m grateful I got the chance to watch so many of them excel in their field this month.