'Feminine Appropriation'

I think you are probably right that this is why the vocalists are not credited, but I think it would be better practice if A.G. et al directly stated this so we don't have to worry that the uncredited female vocalists are somehow being exploited.

Friopi you totally hit the nail on the head with that post! I'm really glad this thread didn't turn into a series of "you're all too sensitive/you're all reading into this too much" posts like some of the other more political/analytical threads did.

^ Yes, on consideration I think "directly" may be going a bit too far. Updating my post accordingly.

OMG YES IT GREAT. she's gotten to be such an incredible, unique and interesting producer!

I wish I could see her live! I love her so much

I FREAKING LOVE HANA. I've been replaying Clay and Avalanche over and over for the past few months.

Sure, women don't get a lot of representation and credit in the music industry for their own work. But (as far as I know) SOPHIE never once stated that his intent was to make people believe that he was a girl. Sure, a name like Sophie might imply that, but his point was to LOOK PAST implications and view artists not for their gender, but for their content. I feel like those who accuse him of using femininity in the name of self-promotion don't understand that his goal was to remove the idea that gender defines what you make and how others should perceive it. It could have been a really successful and powerful message, but some don't understand it and, therefore, the idea "backfires," if you will. If anything, super-politically-correct men and women should see the reason for praising SOPHIE, as he breaks the gender norms that tumblr dearly resents.

Are women undervalued and disrespected in the music industry? Absolutely. Go on any music production forum and I guarantee that almost all the users will assume you're male because music production is a male-oriented hobby, despite the women that have been cranking out their own tunes lately (i.e., Grimes and Bjork). Both Grimes and Bjork said themselves that other men have offered them help when they didn't need it or assumed that they didn't produce the instrumentals behind their vocals, and I'm suspecting it has something to do with their gender. SOPHIE is trying to say that women and men don't need their gender identity to deem them good or bad musicians (or artists in general, for that matter.)

As a woman, it's important to discuss that there ARE double standards towards men as well, and denying that there are literally defies the definition of "feminism," a term social media likes to use to justify anything hateful towards a man. I love the idea of feminism, I just don't like how radical it's become against making all men seem like the enemy. Back to double standards, nobody would throw a fit if a girl gave herself a male stage name. Look at Mark Johns, a singer with a beautiful voice that covered Kanye West and Jay-Z's "Paris." She has the right to use a male name, because gender shouldn't dictate so much of our lives. So SOPHIE should have the right to use a female name for the same purposes.

End rant.