Disruptive Divas Feminism, Identity and Popular Music

"Disruptive Divas: Feminism, Identity and Popular Music" focuses on four female musicians who have marked contemporary popular culture in unexpected ways. Tori Amos, Courtney Love, Me'Shell Ndegeocello and P. J. Harvey have impelled and disturbed the boundaries of "acceptable" female musicianship. "Disruptive Divas" gives close readings to individual, representative songs by each of these artists, in order to make general statements about the role of women in popular music. The artists and songs selected explore a range of textural themes and musical studies. "Disruptive Divas" shows how this material has disrupted the general expectations of popular music style, performance and marketing; in turn, it helps to empower women to be creative artists.

Disruptive Divas focuses on four female musicians: Tori Amos, Courtney Love, Me'Shell Ndegéocello and P. J. Harvey who have marked contemporary popular culture in unexpected ways have impelled and disturbed the boundaries of "acceptable" female musicianship.

Preface Acknowledgments 1. A Cultural Studies Approach to Women and Popular Music 2. "Close Readings" of Popular Song: Intersections among Socio-cultural, Musical, and Lyrical Meanings 3. Tori Amos, "Crucify" (1991) 4. Courtney Love (Hole), Live Through This (1994) 5. Me'Shell Ndegeocello, "Mary Magdalene" (1996) 6. P.J. Harvey, Is this desire? (1998) Appendix 1: Song Lyrics Appendix 2: Reductive Analysis: Notation and Terminology

Lori Burns is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Ottawa. Mélisse Lafrance is a doctoral candidate in French Studies at the University of Oxford.