Latest news with #WomeninMusic
CairoScene
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Top MENA Artists Push Beyond the ‘Female' Prefix at ‘Women in Music'
Top MENA Artists Push Beyond the 'Female' Prefix at 'Women in Music' Co-hosted by SceneNoise, Little Pink Book, Takwene, and Yellow Tape Records, 'Women in Music' brought together some of Egypt's top artists and music industry professionals. Looking back on the first 'Women in Music' event in Cairo, a first-of-its-kind intimate gathering, co-hosted by SceneNoise, Little Pink Book and Takwene at Yellow Tape Records, Maadi, which brought together some of Egypt's top artists and industry professionals to connect, inspire and celebrate the women shaping the region's music scene. As part of the event program, SceneNoise curated an artist-focused panel, titled 'Beyond the 'Female' Prefix: Artists Pushing the Envelope of the MENA's Music Scene.' At this panel, which was moderated by Munky Elbakry, MO4's Managing Director, the spotlight was on five influential Arab female artists: Maii Waleed, Blu Fiefer, Dina El Wedidi, Perrie, and WAVE. We heard their stories, inspirations, and career journeys, as well as their viewpoints on the region's music industry and what needs to be changed. The panellists also shared valuable insights and key strategies on how emerging female artists can break barriers, grow their careers, assert themselves in the scene and push their music to global prominence. Lebanese artist and founder of the independent record label Mafi Budget, Blu Fiefer, discussed how creating 'female-only' playlists can be limiting, as it boxes artists into a separate category rather than integrating them into mainstream industry conversations. Egyptian folk sensation Dina El Wedidi reflected on the lack of experimentation within the music scene, advising emerging talents to take risks, embrace new sounds, and prioritize their artistic vision instead of playing it safe. She also emphasized the need for social media platforms to support and enable such experimentation.
CNN
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Look of the Week: Was there a hidden message in Erykah Badu's ‘booty' bodysuit?
On Saturday, Erykah Badu made waves online when she took to the stage at Billboard's Women in Music ceremony wearing a brown, curvaceous knit bodysuit to perform 'Annie Don't Wear No Panties.' The larger-than-life one-piece, dubbed the 'Full Figure Form' by Badu and the 'booty suit' by its designer on Instagram, featured a set of conical, exaggerated breasts and a rotund behind that seemed to move during her set with a life of its own. 'This night is for us!' Badu told the crowd as she later accepted her trophy as the recipient of the event's Icon Award. 'It's a night to celebrate the womb of the world, the womb of life, the womb-iverse of all things. The smartest creature on planet Earth. The wisest, the most invincible, sexiest, purest, finest. The woman.' She added: 'I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be born a woman!' According to bodysuit's designer Myah Hasbany, a Central Saint Martins fashion student, Badu's look was almost entirely hand-knit and took nearly a year to make. Hasbany, who is non-binary, told CNN in a phone interview that they primarily used vintage mohair and yarns sourced from eBay to hand-crochet eight different pieces which they stitched together in the final silhouette – along with a pair of boots. They stuffed the curves with padding to give it shape, though Hasbany said they tried to keep it 'relatively light' so as not to restrict Badu's performance. The designer often experiments with form and the exaggerated shapes hand-made knits can take. But on social media, the musician's outfit choice proved divisive — with some claiming Badu was mocking Brazilian Butt Lifts, a surgery that has exploded in popularity in the last decade. Others suspected there was more history to the bodacious look. Some commenters believed the crocheted silhouette was a homage to Sarah Baartman, whose image has become an emblem for colonial exploitation. Baartman was an African woman who spent years in European 'freak shows' as an exhibited attraction for her large buttocks, and after her death, scientists used her remains to promote racist theories surrounding those of African ancestry. 'I thought of Sarah Baartman the entire time,' commented singer Tanerélle on Badu's Instagram post. 'I'm so sad that so many (Black people) really don't know their history,' wrote another user. Others drew comparisons to Venus of Willendorf, a voluptuous female figurine dating back to 28,000–25,000 BCE. Experts have long debated the meaning of the 4-inch sculpture, though it is widely regarded to have been seen as a symbol of attractiveness and fertility. 'It's Venus,' wrote one user on X. 'Oh my god, please put art education back into the schools.' Though Badu shared a Venus-related theory on her Instagram Stories, Hasbany says it's up to the singer to decide whether she wants to disclose the outfit's meaning. The designer did reveal, however, that there were 'a lot of different reference points.' In the end, they're glad to see people making their own interpretations about what the look could be paying tribute to. 'It's amazing to see discourse around femininity and how people interpret feminine bodies, especially for Black women,' said Hasbany. 'We should be talking about both historical context and current context.' The look held personal significance for the designer, too, as it was informed by their perspective and experiences as a non-binary person. 'A lot of my work comes from working through my own gender dysphoria and creating bodies and figures outside of myself to kind of work through those feelings.' Hasbany first met Badu when the singer, an alumna of their high school, organized an annual performance there in 2020. Hasbany showed up to dance auditions in one of their early designs, which Badu ended up buying. Now, they plan to feature the 'booty suit' in their graduate collection at Central Saint Martins. 'It's been so impactful for me as a young artist to have someone who really has my back,' they said. 'I think we really have a kinship, and really similar world views and taste.'
CNN
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Look of the Week: Was there a hidden message in Erykah Badu's ‘booty' bodysuit?
On Saturday, Erykah Badu made waves online when she took to the stage at Billboard's Women in Music ceremony wearing a brown, curvaceous knit bodysuit to perform 'Annie Don't Wear No Panties.' The larger-than-life one-piece, dubbed the 'Full Figure Form' by Badu and the 'booty suit' by its designer on Instagram, featured a set of conical, exaggerated breasts and a rotund behind that seemed to move during her set with a life of its own. 'This night is for us!' Badu told the crowd as she later accepted her trophy as the recipient of the event's Icon Award. 'It's a night to celebrate the womb of the world, the womb of life, the womb-iverse of all things. The smartest creature on planet Earth. The wisest, the most invincible, sexiest, purest, finest. The woman.' She added: 'I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be born a woman!' According to bodysuit's designer Myah Hasbany, a Central Saint Martins fashion student, Badu's look was almost entirely hand-knit and took nearly a year to make. Hasbany, who is non-binary, told CNN in a phone interview that they primarily used vintage mohair and yarns sourced from eBay to hand-crochet eight different pieces which they stitched together in the final silhouette – along with a pair of boots. They stuffed the curves with padding to give it shape, though Hasbany said they tried to keep it 'relatively light' so as not to restrict Badu's performance. The designer often experiments with form and the exaggerated shapes hand-made knits can take. But on social media, the musician's outfit choice proved divisive — with some claiming Badu was mocking Brazilian Butt Lifts, a surgery that has exploded in popularity in the last decade. Others suspected there was more history to the bodacious look. Some commenters believed the crocheted silhouette was a homage to Sarah Baartman, whose image has become an emblem for colonial exploitation. Baartman was an African woman who spent years in European 'freak shows' as an exhibited attraction for her large buttocks, and after her death, scientists used her remains to promote racist theories surrounding those of African ancestry. 'I thought of Sarah Baartman the entire time,' commented singer Tanerélle on Badu's Instagram post. 'I'm so sad that so many (Black people) really don't know their history,' wrote another user. Others drew comparisons to Venus of Willendorf, a voluptuous female figurine dating back to 28,000–25,000 BCE. Experts have long debated the meaning of the 4-inch sculpture, though it is widely regarded to have been seen as a symbol of attractiveness and fertility. 'It's Venus,' wrote one user on X. 'Oh my god, please put art education back into the schools.' Though Badu shared a Venus-related theory on her Instagram Stories, Hasbany says it's up to the singer to decide whether she wants to disclose the outfit's meaning. The designer did reveal, however, that there were 'a lot of different reference points.' In the end, they're glad to see people making their own interpretations about what the look could be paying tribute to. 'It's amazing to see discourse around femininity and how people interpret feminine bodies, especially for Black women,' said Hasbany. 'We should be talking about both historical context and current context.' The look held personal significance for the designer, too, as it was informed by their perspective and experiences as a non-binary person. 'A lot of my work comes from working through my own gender dysphoria and creating bodies and figures outside of myself to kind of work through those feelings.' Hasbany first met Badu when the singer, an alumna of their high school, organized an annual performance there in 2020. Hasbany showed up to dance auditions in one of their early designs, which Badu ended up buying. Now, they plan to feature the 'booty suit' in their graduate collection at Central Saint Martins. 'It's been so impactful for me as a young artist to have someone who really has my back,' they said. 'I think we really have a kinship, and really similar world views and taste.'
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billboard's Women in Music Awards Honors Doechii, Erykah Badu and More
'It's a night to celebrate the womb of the world… The womb of life,' Erykah Badu said, as she accepted the Icon award at Billboard's Women in Music event on Saturday. 'The wombiverse of all things. The smartest creature on planet earth. The wisest, the most invincible, sexiest, purist, finest – the woman.' Badu's speech also had a funny anecdote about 'the vagina' being the most important thing on the planet, but she made the biggest impression with her outfit, a 'full figure form' costume 'imagined' by herself and engineered and built by designer/artist Myah Hasbany. View the to see embedded media. The "booty suit," as Hasbany called it on her Instagram, lit up in strategic regions when Badu performed her classic, 'Annie,' live on stage, and it was a sight to behold in person, with some calling it a 'cultural reset' for stage performance and acceptance speech wasn't the only attention grabbing moment on stage at the event, which took place at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood. The annual event brings together women from the music industry (both recording artists and behind the scenes figures) to celebrate their achievements and impact. This year, producers, songwriters, managers, and even moms had their moment to shine alongside some of the biggest names in music. Tina Knowles, mom to Beyonce, Solange, and, as she addressed at the event, a mother figure to Kelly Rowland and the girls in Destiny's Child as well, spoke of her influence on the singing group when it got its start and exploded onto the music scene. 'Thank you Billboard for thinking about mothers because a lot of times we're forgotten,' Knowles said in her acceptance speech. 'There is no formal training class to prepare you for the most important job that you will ever have in your life. You will most likely screw up sometimes. I know I did…'Knowles also spoke of her input, both in terms of dress up and creative collaboration, noting that mothers are often a huge part of their kids' success. She dedicated her award to her mom, Agnes, and 'all the mothers who have supported their kids in their dreams.' Another heartfelt moment at the two hour event included Angela Aguilar, who received the Breakthrough Award and sang a rousing version of the Spanish-language classic 'Cielito Lindo' with female mariachis on stage behind her. The daughter of beloved Mexican singer Pepe Aguilar got emotional as she accepted her award stating that 'this year almost destroyed me,' speaking about immigrant women's 'sacrifice and resilience' and raising her voice for women 'whose voices don't always have a platform." She reminded the live and streaming audience (via Vizio TV) that despite adversity, her fellow Latinas will continue to move forward with hope and determination. Laverne Cox hosted the uplifting event Saturday and other honorees included GloRilla with the Powerhouse Award; Gracie Abrams with Songwriter of the Year Award; JENNIE (from Blackpink) with the Global Force Award; Megan Moroney with the Rulebreaker Award presented by Crown Royal Whisky; Meghan Trainor with the Hitmaker Award; Muni Long with Rising Star Award presented by Honda Stage and Tyla with the Impact Award presented by biggest excitement was audibly near the end of the night when K-pop sensation Aespa accepted their award for Group of the Year. The foursome also returned to the stage at the end of the show to close it out, which had their fanbase in the balcony seats screaming non-stop. Long, Moroney, Tyla and Abrams also performed. Disappointingly, recent Grammy winner, Doechii who took the last award of the evening honor, Billboard 2025's Woman of the Year Award, did not perform. Still, her speech was inspiring. It was just two years ago that the rapper accepted Billboard's Rising Star award, and she noted how far she's come, stating she lost her shoe that night performing and had to hop to the stage to accept it. "That moment really reflects how I've approached my entire career which is always go full out, always go hard and always be fab," she said, addressing her full circle perspective. "I stand here as a serious ally."Doechii also noted that "lack of inclusion and sexism are unfortunately still an issue in this industry," adding that events like Saturday's awards are still much needed. "This is our m*therf*cking night to come together and acknowledge each other, to support each other and to celebrate!" Check out the red carpet fashion below (photos courtesy of Billboard) and more extensive recaps of the event at View the 15 images of this gallery on the original article Get the latest news delivered to your inbox daily! Sign up for Los Angeles Magazine's The Daily Brief below or click here.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Get an Inside Look at Billboard's Women in Music 2025: Photos
This year's Billboard Women in Music took over the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, Calif., on Saturday evening (March 29), and it was a celebration of female talent, support and accomplishments over the past year. Doechii received the prestigious Woman of the Year Award, and when she took the stage to accept the honor, she explained the importance of events like Women in Music. 'This is our motherf–king night to rightfully come together to acknowledge each other, support each other and to celebrate,' she explained. 'We are the creators, we are the executives, we are the innovators who are just as central to this industry as the men. Clock it.' More from Billboard Owning Their Power: Anycia Talks Joining Forces With GloRilla and Karrahbooo for 'Never Need' Charlie Puth and BTS' Jung Kook Share Behind-the-Scenes Footage From 'Left and Right' Video: Exclusive BTS Share Secrets From the Set of 'My Universe' Video With Coldplay in New Making-Of Clip Additionally, Tina Knowles accepted the inaugural Mother of the Year award for uplifting and supporting her superstar daughters, Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, throughout the years. Other star-studded honorees of the evening included aespa (Group of the Year), Ángela Aguilar (Breakthrough Award), Erykah Badu (Icon Award), GloRilla (Powerhouse Award), Gracie Abrams (Songwriter of the Year), JENNIE (Global Force Award), Megan Moroney (Rulebreaker Award presented by Crown Royal Whisky), Meghan Trainor (Hitmaker Award), Muni Long (Rising Star Award Presented by Honda Stage) and Tyla (Impact Award presented by Bose). Global Women of the Year are ANNA (Billboard Italy Woman of the Year) and Charlotte Cardin (Billboard Canada Woman of the Year). As expected, the night was filled with female empowerment, as the attendees smiled and posed together for pictures during the ceremony. See all the inside look photos exclusively via Billboard below. Best of Billboard Drake's Historic Chart Week: How He Matched The Beatles' 57-Year-Old Record How Elton John Keeps Up His Hot 100 Hot Streak With Dua Lipa Duet 'Cold Heart' Pink's 'All I Know So Far' Has Us Looking Back at the History of Live Music on the Charts
