Music and Gender

When I reflect on the music I've listened to, I can see how gender influences what people are expected to listen to and how they are viewed in music. I moved to the US three years ago from Sweden, where I was born, and throughout that time I have listened to a lot of different music and noticed some differences. When thinking about the ways that men and women see music differently, it's interesting to consider the genres of music that I listen to the most, rap, RnB, and afrobeat.

One thing I've noticed is that men and women tend to listen to different sorts of music. For example, many of the men I know prefer rap music, whereas most of the women I know prefer RnB or pop. It's not that individuals can't love different kinds of music, but there seems to be a stereotype that rap is more for men since it's typically loud and strong, whereas RnB and pop, which is softer and more emotional, is more for women. I love listening to both, depending on my mood. Afrobeat, on the other hand, feels the most balanced that I've experienced. Both men and women listen to it in the same way, which is one of the reasons I appreciate it so much and it suits most occasions.

Bottom by Gunna. A loud and strong rap song with harsh lyrics about money, cars, and girls.

Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish. An emotional song about feelings.

When it comes to how men and women are approached in music, I've seen a few differences, particularly in rap and R&B. Male rappers can be viewed as powerful and dominant, whereas female artists are sometimes judged on their appearance rather than their talent. Female rappers, such as Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, have had to work very hard to get to where they are today. When I think about rappers, I can probably name a lot more male rappers than female rappers. So there's a difference between what kind of music males and women are creating. But I also think that's because different genders make different parts of music better. I prefer male rappers, and singers I prefer females.

Un-thinkable (I'm Ready) by Alicia Keys ft. Drake. This is a perfect example of how Alicia Keys uses her beautiful voice and Drake raps with his deeper voice, which creates a dynamic and incredible song.

Some positions seem to be more typical of one gender than the other when it comes to performance. My grandma sings in a choir and I've watched her perform a couple of times. As an example, I saw that the men and women in the choir are frequently divided into separate voice groups. Softer voices are often sung by women, and stronger voices and bass are typically sung by men. Apart from vocal performance, during my childhood in Sweden, I've seen that women typically work as music teachers, whereas men are more likely to be in charge of things like leading or supervising musical events. Men are more likely to handle technical responsibilities such as sound and music event management. When I've been to concerts or festivals, I've mostly seen men walking around fixing all the instruments, sounds, and things like that.

I've also noticed that certain instruments are viewed as "for men" or "for women". For example, I don't know any female drummers, and I think that's because people tend to think that drumming is only for men. This, in my opinion, is disappointing since everyone should play any instrument without being concerned about what other people may think. I'm sure there are women who play the drums equally as well, but I don't think I've seen a female drummer.

Finally, I am mindful that gender expectations in music exist, even if they are not always obvious. This involves to what individuals listen to, how they are represented in the media, and who is hired to do particular jobs in music. I believe some parts can be done equally as good. But I also believe some parts of music, women do better. For example, their softer voice suits better for genres like RnB while men, I think raps better.

Music & Me

 Hej allihopa (Hi everyone)! My name's Isac Åhnstrand. If you have never seen the letter "Å" before, then you have now learned a new Swedish letter. Coming from a small city in Sweden called Sundsvall, I've encountered many different cultures and experiences by moving to America. During my first two years in America, I lived in New York City, where I played basketball at Monroe College. Then I moved on and ended up here at Converse University.

I've been playing basketball for as long as I can remember, and that's the main reason why I moved from Sweden. Other than basketball I love to spend quality time with friends. We usually play cards, hang out by the pool, or play PlayStation. Unfortunately, right now in my life, I don't get to spend a lot of time with my family. It's a lot of FaceTime calls. But when I fly back home for the summer we spend a lot of time together. In the picture below is me and my dog Pike, it's even harder to be away from him because he hasn't figured out how FaceTime works yet. One thing I wish I could do is to play an instrument. But I also don't think I've got the time to learn it right now, maybe something for the future.

It's a big difference between the places I lived in and now I'll share some of my music experiences and music that is important to me.

In my life, music plays a big role. I love to listen to music almost any time of the day, even right now I'm listening to music. Music can make me feel in a lot of different ways. For example: happy, relaxed, and game-ready. For different occasions, I have different playlists so I can pick and choose what vibe I'm feeling.

Something that I listen to every day is Afrobeat. I got into Afrobeat music when we were hanging out by the pool after our basketball season ended. The rhythm just caught me, it’s smooth and makes you want to move without even thinking about it. The tempo is perfect for chilling, and the beat has this groove that gets you hooked. The melodies flow in a way that relaxes me but still keeps things upbeat. It’s the kind of music that instantly puts me in a good mood, and now it’s my most-played playlist whenever I want to feel happy and relaxed, which is usually all the time. So put your shades on, turn on this song, with your friends, by the pool, with something cold to drink and I promise you'll have a good time!

The song "W" by Alpha P is the song on repeat right now.

"Emiliana" by CKay is probably my most played song of this year.

One song that's been personally meaningful to me for a time now is "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z. It’s more than just a song in my opinion, it feels like the anthem of New York City. I remember hearing it everywhere when I moved to New York and walked around Manhattan just looking up at all the enormous buildings. Some of the lyrics hit me in a way that made me reflect on my journey and all the hard work it took to get to that moment. From a dream of playing basketball in the US, to actually being there, and in the middle of New York City, the city of dreams. It was just something else. Walking through the city and hearing that song made me feel proud of what I had accomplished. A big accomplishment in my career. I don’t play it often because I like to save it for those special times when I want to be reminded of that feeling. I don’t want to overplay it and lose that connection.

"Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

I'm very open to listening to new genres and expanding my music taste but Country music is something I just don’t really connect with. I know a lot of people have it as their favorite genre, but it’s never been my thing. Living in Sweden my whole life and then moving to NYC, where you don’t hear much Country, to South Carolina was definitely a change. Suddenly, it was everywhere. I can see a little bit why people like it, but the sound and style don’t hit the same way other music does for me. It’s hard to relate to, but I understand that it's very catchy. In general, for me, country music can sometimes feel too "saucy." It’s hard to put into words exactly. But this doesn't mean that I hate listening to Country music. I will stay positive toward country music and maybe after my second year here in South Carolina, Country music will get me as well. 

The one country song I'd listen to: "A Bar Song" by Shaboozey.

As a bonus, I will share with you my favorite Swedish artist, Veronica Maggio. She sings in Swedish so it's probably difficult for y'all to understand the lyrics. But I'll link a translated video. She is called the "Swedish Pop Queen" and you won't experience a real Swedish summer without hearing some of her music in the background.

This is her most famous song "Jag Kommer".