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For my piece today I want to talk about the long standing question, of women and the debate of sex selling. But specifically women in music. For most female musicians and just musicians alike, regardless of the gender, they understand within the industry that one must make themselves these 'untouchable Godly figures' but in reality, they are just regular people. Interestingly enough, for artists like Ed Sheeran, he seems to be the perfect example of sex doesn't need to sell nor even an outgoing personality in the music industry, everyone would assume one needs to show an overtly sexual presence in order to be successful. But Ed Sheeran and artists like Billie Eillish, show that one does not need to be anything sexual in order to be popular. They come dressed in baggy clothing and regardless of the fact that one is man or women, does not seem to matter for either of them. What seems to matter is that they are talented and make incredible music. For most people, an artist is the whole package, the look, the persona, the friend group they have, the people they date, their personal story to tie an emotional connection to the viewers and thus, the artist becomes an entire persona. But for artists like Ed Sheeran and Billie, are they not mysterious? We don't really see their body and they're sexuality on stage. There is a message there, that inevitably the sex selling debate, is a myth. Even Taylor Swift for example, she seems like the complete wholesome singer all moms would like for their daughters to listen to, but now her new pop songs, are delving more into her sexuality. Her earlier hits were completely about these wholesome girl feelings alone, but now it seems, she's delved into more of her sexuality, is it to stay relevant? Is it to change the good girl persona and delve into another one? With artists like Nicki Minaj for example, selling sex seems inevitable in the hip hop industry, it almost seems, if the only way to be a successful female artist is to sell sex. In this article, called "Lorde is proof that women don't need to sell sex to sell records" she gives a great example of what artists have and don't need to sell in order to be successful. In the article it states, "Perry, whose Prism is her second record to hit No. 1 on the U.K. Albums charts, told NPR's Simon, "[F]emales in pop — everybody's getting naked. I mean, I've been naked before but I don't feel like I have to always get naked to be noticed .… I'm not talking about anyone in particular. I'm talking about all of them. I mean, it's like everybody's so naked. It's like put it away. We know you've got it. I got it too." It's a somewhat hypocritical statement for Perry, who despite vaguely acknowledging her role in this trend, is arguably most famous for her cheeky and brazen use of sexual innuendos, both lyrically and in her onstage costumes. "I've taken it off for — I've taken it out here and there. And I'm not necessarily judging. I'm just saying sometimes it's nice to play that card but also it's nice to play other cards. And I know I have that sexy card in my deck but I don't always have to use that card." I like that she mentions a lot of it being something fun to experiment and not necessarily feeling like she has to, but simply, just to play around as an artist and have fun. What I love within her songs is the contrast of it, some of her songs are just as she mentioned. With in terms, of what she said another artist that I would compare to playing around and seeming to do it for fun. Is Ariana Grande, she in the beginning of her career had more wholesome and girly songs like, 'Baby I' and songs like, 'The way' more playful, soft and girly. But she is the one funny enough that said, "I feel like those songs weren't really who I was" it seems like she wanted to break out into her sexuality right away and make songs like, 'dangerous women' and songs like, '34 35' which are heavily sexual songs.

And take the contrast of her earlier songs like Baby I and the fun playful beat and even notice the words and rhymes are different. No swear words or any kind of overtly sexual display, proving that it seems for most female artists in genres, selling sex or rather displaying sex seems to be a personal choice of theirs. 

Take the rest of the article where Lorde, really gets into exactly what this means.

 ‘Women are, of course, free to choose whether to use their sexuality as part of their image or brand, but so much of our pop-culture talk focuses on those who do when, in fact, artists like Lorde — and the audiences who listen to her — are asking us to shift our focus. While the women she's vying with for popularity have tended to use their sexuality to sell their music, Lorde is proving fierce competition with her obvious lack of interest in representing herself the same way, and she's resonating with a wide range of demographics for a reason. It's still a nascent fight, but she's challenging the widely-held idea that sex alone sells through her image, songs, and lyrics. She is showing the music industry (and the pop-culture community at large) that taking anything off isn't a requisite for grabbing people's attention.” The last line where it mentions, she is showing the music industry you don’t have to show your sexuality to grab someones attention is perfect. Leading me to mention another artist, I feel has never had to be overtly sexual in order to be successful is Adele, she has never had to show off her body in any kind of way, in fact you notice, she wears Black most times and that is a slimming color for her, she says, but never does she say I don’t think I can be that successful because I don’t show my body. Many female artists show off their body and many don’t, in almost all ways it is completely fine I notice. 

But take another females artists pov for example like Katy Perry who is widely successful. 

Katy Perry: "Everybody's getting naked"

Katy Perry has hit the headlines for wearing skin-tight latex, see-through frocks and cupcake bras on stage in the past - but even the 'Dark Horse' singer seems fed up with the lack of clothes popstars seem to have on today.

Speaking on the radio last year, she lamented: "Everybody's getting naked. I mean, I've been naked before, but I don't feel like I have to always get naked to be noticed.

"I'm not talking about anyone in particular. I'm talking about all of them... It's like, 'Put it away. We know you've got it. I got it too'."

The artist profile I want to cover is my fellow Bengali Brother Muza!!!!!! He is a South-Asian American artist from the city, and he is actually making big movements for the Asian community of artists in the city. His main focus on music is covering pop song covers in international languages like Arabic, Hindi, English, Spanish and Urdu. What I love about his music, is that he wants to cover all cultures, like Bollywood songs, pop songs, rap and different languages. Incorporating different languages, is a great way to build your persona as an artist, what I love about Muza so much is that his story is a rough start, he didn't want to pursue music because his family wanted him to go into medical school and he did just that. He called it his version, of the closest he got to an "arranged marriage" LOL. But, he decided to leave medical school and pursue, his dream of being a singer/songwriter. He wanted to chase it, even though he knew his family would cut him off for his decisions, what I see in a pattern for a lot of great artists, weather that is artists or actors alike, is that they all, had a similar story, like Jlo who had to leave her family in order to make her dreams happen for herself as a dancer and Al Pacino whose family did not support him. Muza is defiantly chasing his dreams, which I think will show in his music as his career grows more and more in the future. His songs like 'Oporadhi' a classic Bengali song, was turned into a pop/rap song with his killer vocals and animated features. He knows exactly, how to appeal to the older generation by including classic songs and mixing it with the younger generation by including the rap part. I really like that he includes these spontaneous twists, which help his songs stand out more. One of his albums include Spanish songs, Arabic songs, that he sings with his very melodic voice. He was gracious enough to answer some questions and get more vulnerable which is something he hopes men in general do more with music instead of trying to be some "hard shit" as he says, his rap content focuses on romance too and not just drugs, or degrading women. It is not normal for artists to do all kinds of languages and genres all at once, they usually have to break out into one thing first but he really did not want to wait the process and simply wanted to immerse himself in the music as soon as he could.

Tanisha: Was it hard to emerge as an artist unknown and coming from a background without starting young? Since you were studying something so different in school?

Muza: It was hard of course, the whole process was hard, imagine your entire life being told and forced to pursue something you didn't like, it was engraved into my brain and our brains, as you know, that success more than happiness comes first. Medical school is stable, its what my entire family did and my parents. Imagine their only son, pursuing his dreams, and becoming something so different than everyone else, it was hard of course, and so many times, I though about going back, because you do think of those adult things, like "Am I going to make this work?" "Where will I be in the future" and "Will it work out" but I really sat down with myself and knew if I didn't pursue music that I would die the unhappiest man ever. My talent and voice, is something all my teachers, friends and family alike told me I have been blessed with. But what's funny is no one thought I would take it seriously, they thought wrong, not only do I have a great amount of views on my songs, but I have performed at universities and schools alike.

Tanisha: Wow, and what about making music and you're songs? Was it intimidating not knowing who would view it or was it just the passion you cared for?

Muza: I knew for a fact, that I would be successful, why....because I would not take no for answer no matter what. Because so many disbelieved in this dream, I didn't care if I had to stand outside of Times Square hanging my album out every.single.day, I told myself I would have a certain amount of views by the end of each week and when you hustle, network and commit, it truly does pay off. Then on top of that, I would get signing coaches to really make my voice better, spend hours and hours in the studio working on my voice, piano, beats and gather my other artist buddies, to network, collaborate and use social media for branding. I have to pay a lot of my success as well to the community of artists of color, who really help each other, there is a whole network and scene of our music genres only that get SO many views by us only, and I am okay with that. I love making music in different languages and cultures. So for me it is the passion and making music that drives me but a lot of it is also calculated and strategic planning.

Tanisha: Talk a little more about how you want male artists to be more vulnerable and include that in their art?

Muza: Haha, it's more of just men in general haha...not even artists, but yea, I think for me chasing my dreams in of itself is vulnerable, it really is something that most men don't do, because at least with how I was raised, I was always taught to not show emotion, make sure stability and success came first, because that is how I will take care of everyone around me and my duty as a man was to provide, protect etc...and of course I still believe it is, but as an artist, I like being in touch with my vulnerable side, most male artists, and people in my industry in general, operate off of ego...a lot of narcissism too, how many followers you have and views all of that matters. But I think the more we become vulnerable we can work better by not trying to be BETTER than anyone but be better together, and that's also better to make more dope content.

Tanisha: So, final advice to artists out there what would it be?

Today, I am interviewing my bestie Sue!!! She is an incredible artist and pianist, just like me, that is also how we met, in our piano class at the age of thirteen, she is such an incredible pianist much better than me, she has played in concerts for Yale University and concerts at Carnegie Hall (a well known classical music area) Sue is currently, a graduate from Rutgers University and studied Communications with a minor in music and wants to pursue a music career in PR. Today I wanted to ask her more about her love of all things music and her love piano, certain songs and what she hopes more people know about piano as well. So let’s start!!!!!!

Tanisha: Why did you want to minor in music at Rutgers and not major in it, because I know how crazy you are about music and going to concerts like every other day haha

Sue: Well, I had to still be practical and consider how I could pay for my health insurance after college haha, can’t really do that just making music all day, I mean yea I can teach it, but I know artists that take is very personally when you say that to them, the whole “its my hobby not my living” because for artists weather that is theater work or music, this is their life and their priority. But for me, I wanted music to still be apart of my life, but wanted to still utilize my great speaking skills too, so PR is apart of communications and mixing it with music, which is my ultimate passion, is what I wanted. So it is the best of both worlds, now that I have graduated I would have liked to major in BOTH music and communications just so I got the full spectrum for music in classes, but I still can always go back to study it if I want.

Tanisha: That’s true, school is flexible for a reason, you can always do grad school and even get a doctorate, just to actually go off of what you mentioned, how artists take it personally when people look at art as a hobby, can you talk more about that? Because as a theater minor, I know all too well how I wish I could make it my major, but going back to the love and passion for something its hard to mix it with wanting a secured future after college. So what is a misconception about artists or jobs that artists have? 

Sue: I feel that, people think artists, are just not going anywhere in life, and it is so not true, of course it is not as secured as being a doctor, but for example, like me I am an artist still but I can also mix that with PR. There are over 1,000 plus jobs an artist can have, you can be a graphic designer and paint for pottery, or make music for movies etc... there is A LOT that artists do for society more than people will ever know or give credit for, I mean who doesn’t watch a show or listen to music at least once a day? Those are artists, so people need to appreciate the art world more and I know it can be hard, when artists are only looked at as entertainment but people need to see how art is so precious and can literally change someones life. 

Tanisha: So what are your favorite things as an artist, to talk about, or what exactly do you do in a day with PR and music?

Sue: Well PR is talking about music, I mean PR is more so branding, advertising basically and networking, so for instance, I meet with producers, call agencies and can vouch for an artist. It is basically a lot of networking to put it simply but it is so fun, I get to brand for live events, shows and call other music agencies, I mean like, just to know that I helping my fellow artists is enough for me, to have a fulfilled life. I just want to help people. 

Tanisha: And this is the part where I go awwwww

Sue: Lol shut up! But yea, I really feel like the biggest misconception is that is it not a job and as you said, just a hobby for people, it is not at all, it is 100% a job and a lot of work too! I mean a lot of work! Artists, have to brand for themselves, network like crazy, go to school, get a degree, compete with other talented people and constantly hustle in the city. 

Tanisha: Is there any particular genre you think people should check out specially with piano and any other thoughts about piano you want to add? 

Sue: Yea, I think that piano is a great instrument, I mean piano is one of those instruments that everyone knows about so it is popular, but what people do not know is that masters of piano still make mistakes and it is very hard to do, even performing and when you consistently practice your craft that is how to get better not just knowing a hard song makes you a pianist and even being able to read sheet music its all about consistency and of course passion! 

Tanisha: Well thank you so much for today! 

For anyone who knows musical theater or loves movies with music included in general, you have to watch this movie, based on a French historical novel, which led to the making of the incredible Oscar nominated movie, which truly revolves around war between the rich and poor. The reason why one of my favorite music scenes, are in this, is because it truly deals with a heartbreaking story that I believe still goes on even until this present day. Where men and women both, sometimes have to resort to prostitution in order to live and survive, which can also be seen in our modern times. I love this song, ‘I dreamed a dream’ which you may have also heard in the very famous x-factor season with Susan Boyle, I think it is a great song and truly shows, the beauty of what life is like, as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, which is really what the movie focuses on. In this song, there is a beautiful line which goes along as “There was a time when men were kind When their voices were soft And their words inviting There was a time when love was blind And the world was a song And the song was exciting There was a timeThen it all went wrongI dreamed a dream in times gone by When hope was high and life worth living I dreamed, that love would never die I dreamed that God would be forgiving Then I was young and unafraid And dreams were made and used and wasted There was no ransom to be paid No song unsung, no wine untasted” 

What I love about this song is that coincides with what reality can be for the majority of people in the world, how the top 1% live lavishly and the rest of the people are in “ransom” as the song says, which can translate to debt of any kind that one must owe someone, specially in our modern times the government and how they don’t truly let you live your dreams freely, because of corporate greed. The song is really sad and Anne Hathaway after winning an Oscar, for her dedication in losing weight for the film and cutting her hair drastically, said, “she still felt sad...” showing how impactful a character can be to someone. The movie did so well, because of it’s musical theater songs and another incredible song, in the movie, that is widely popular is also ‘Do you hear the people sing’ it is so inspirational and empowering, as it talks about the revolution of the people and how they want a better life, and won’t let the government get in the way of that again. I mean a literal lyric in the song is, ‘do you hear the people sing, singing a song of angry men...a people who will NOT be slaves again...’ perhaps to include my own bias in this. I think in our times, it will always be a class war more than anything, race, religion and color make a distraction for what the people should truly be fighting which is the government’s exploitation of everyone that is not filthy rich, And this movie does a great job of that. Here is the song enjoy! :) 

During the course of Taylor Swifts Album ‘Fearless’ the songs and the beats in of itself are a lot to follow and listen too, what I love most about it is the fact that these are lyrics that she has part taken in widely and written, I love that she uses all of her creative skills in making music and writing these lyrics. It really is amazing to see a female artist, be so talented in so many facets. For this I really want to disect her incredible lyrics and the power that they have on people and in music in general. From lyrics like, ‘well you stood there in the doorway, my handshake, I’m not usually this way but you pull me in, and I am a little more brave...’ lyrics like that give me hope in songs. Or even in another song, a lyrics that goes, “Someday maybe you’ll miss me, but even then you’ll be Mr. Too Late...” lyrics that every person not just women can relate too. I think to really delve into her music, you have to understand the backstory of her songs and the meaning behind them, and what makes it so powerful and special. She really pours her personal life into the music and does it great job of it, she can make anybody feel like that they went through that issue with her and she hypnotizes them and brings them that special feeling within her music, within just a couple of lyrics. 

I think that Taylor shows, the power of creative lyrics can have on artists and their success in the music business, in a time where modern music, just feels like complete beats, autotune and rap. These creative lyrics really are so special as it brings the beauty of music into reality, where ordinary people can feel like their problems are also expierenced  by celebs like her. She really has a talent for Writng and in another lyric, with the song, “I don’t know why the all the trees change in the fall but I know you’re not scared of nothing at all...” lyrics like this are always so simple yet profound in the message it gives and offers, when I listened to this lyric during the start of college after COVID, I felt sad that my birthday month was in the fall, and felt as if I lost myself in COVID, being so alone and not my usual bubbly, ambitious self, but then, I remembered who I was through this song and how brave I am to have gone through that and landing my dream internship. The music intertwined with that country feel and vibe, is the perfect nostalgic song. I think that a lot of more people other than young women would give Taylor’s music a chance if they realized how special her lyrics are and the power that they can hold over a person. 

What these music scores, include in her songs, as she tells it, is apart of herself, she uses the word “diaristic” as her songs, are always seeming like something out of a journal or diary and is very vulnerable. she says this line herself, in the article by NME, “She continued to explain that this new style of writing made her feel that she would be able to “maintain a place of good mental health and emotional health and all that”. “I saw a lane for my future and that was a real breakthrough moment of excitement and happiness,” she said... (NME) 

https://www.nme.com/news/music/taylor-swift-diaristic-songwriting-style-unsustainable-future-folklore-evermore-2837843

I feel that this playlist, is very “girly” whatever that means to you (LOL) But, I guess this is the part where everyone says, “you’re such a girrrrllll” and the answer is I am surely am! (teehee) but these songs, are soooo good trust me guys! This playlist, really is for everyone, any gender, taste of music or anything you identify with, maybe if you just want some sweet mellow songs to jam out too in the long car ride, or need a heartbreak playlist, or even a relatable playlist in general for any kind of mood, in which you need a relaxing vibe for a hectic day. The first song is, Taylor Swift ‘Tim Mcgraw’, I am not a country fan like that at all, but she is the exception, it is so funny, because this song of hers, is perhaps, the most country one she wrote out of all of them, but it is such a soothing song, and the guitar in the background, is so well done with this song. Not like a typical, cheesy, country song at all, it is for sure poetic, heartwarming, and leaves you with that haunted feeling. I think like most people I discovered her through her many famous boyfriends in the beginning and her performing at awards shows, but now she is a legit artist in her own right. 

I competed in a pageant in the summer of August 2021, last month, and witnessed numerous live action talents from Irish Step dance, Violin, broadway song covers and to performing my very own talent opera song, by Puccini called 'Nessun Dorma'. It was a wonderful experience to have competed for Miss New Jersey, and be able to show my artistic talent and abilities, especially during the pandemic. With everything else on stage, we had to wear masks, but for talent, it really is impossible as breathing with anything artistic is required, for moral support and well...common sense (haha) I can't sing with a face cover. The event itself had to have limited guests, spaced out seating and everyone had to show vaccination documentation. For me, to be able to still have my love art shine on stage, meant everything to me, especially because I know all too well, how the pandemic took away theater, which is my minor, so many actors and artists are out of work, therefore, to be able to have this chance, to perform and be on stage, felt surreal after so long.

What I love about art, and in this case the pageant world, is that so many girls gave out all kinds of performances, some even did rap! Which for a traditional setting (as pageants are known to be traditional) was very bold and everyone in the audience loved it. It almost reminded me why I love doing this so much, it is especially for the chance to perform on stage, with the people I love watching. One of my favorite performances, was a spoken word piece, about a girl fighting cancer, as we all listened, again in the midst of a global pandemic, it reminded us others have it worse, and so we should be grateful for the little things, that truly is the power of art, and what art can do to people and how it can make them feel.

Firstly, singer Nora Jones, is an incredible singer, and I would like to dedicate this review to her and the way her songs make my days better. Her album ‘Come Away With Me’ is incredibly soothing, her voice is that of Lana-Del-Rey’s but not as, sappy and wailing (sorry Lana-del-rey fans lols!). It is very mellow and chill vibes. If you listen to the lyrics, she combines the creativity of Taylor Swift songs, with those extremely witty lyrics and still includes that Ed Sheeran romantic vibe. Her music combines all these artists and their attributes, yet my theory of why she is not that popular, as mainstream artists, is for the fact, she has a distinct voice and a hippy aura to her. She is defiantly true to her-self and yet her style, is that of a 1950's vintage housewife, with beautiful dresses and curls in her hair. One of the many reasons I love her album 'Come Away With Me' is the song, itself, "come away with me" because it combines really soft melodies and yet still has such a heart-aching, feel to it, that makes you think of it after it's done. 

The music video itself, is weird and confusing, with the running joggers and a random guy she picks up, but the song has over 37 million plus views, so it clearly has touched a lot of people, the same way it did for me. But her other songs on the album, haven't done as well, a specific song on the album, called 'feeling the same way' is not one of my favorites, it sounds lazily written and produced honestly, if you here it, the lyrics are so repetitive to the point it sounds she wrote the song within two seconds and called it-a-day just to finish her album, but other songs like, 'nightingale' are so good, it has a deeper message in it, the message I got in it, was about persevering on a long journey to achieve your dreams, as she talks about the far journey took, the song starts slow first and then it takes people by surprise, as the tempo is picked up and she goes faster. A song not on this album, but that did extremely well, like her one hit single, 'Come Away With Me', the song 'Don't Know Why' is popular, with 65 million plus views, the audience seems to love that mellow, chill vibe again and that soothing voice, rather than some songs on the album, including a different sound of her voice.