The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+
This list is part of Turning the Tables, an ongoing project from NPR Music dedicated to recasting the popular music canon in more inclusive – and accurate – ways. This year, our list, selected by a panel of more than 70 women and non-binary writers, tackles history in the making, celebrating artists whose work is changing this century's sense of what popular music can be. The songs are by artists whose major musical contributions came on or after Jan. 1, 2000, and have shifted attitudes, defied categories and pushed sound in new directions since then.
Our list includes songs performed by women and non-binary artists. The use of the term "Women+" is part of our engagement in a movement to recognize a wide spectrum of gender identities coming to greater light in the 21st century.
"Alaska" was released in October 2016 by the then-22-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Maggie Rogers. Her stunning, lush vocals paint a picture of her hiking trip through Alaska, which was the impetus for the song. She showcases self-empowerment with the lyrics, "Cut my hair so I could rock back and forth / without thinking of you / learned to talk and say / whatever I wanted to." The nod of approval and a few tears from Pharrell Williams didn't hurt, either. —Maggie Brennan (WCBE)
Already a phenomenon in Chile, got the attention. Its title track is a revealing autobiography and her raw, evocative lyrics pair powerfully with explosive jazz and Spanish guitar-infused hip hop. Her unique rhythmic narrative that bends genres and blurs borders is one that you don't need to speak a lick of Spanish to appreciate.
