Something that many people seem to forget is that the music world has space for tons and tons of women at the top - it's not a competition and pitting women against each other for the same few jobs is wrong. By helping other women to the top, we can slowly start to dismantle the huge gender disparity in the music industry.
Given that, we love when women in music support other women in music. Be it by choosing female support acts on tour, by inviting women up to share a stage or collaborating on an in-studio duet together.
Lucky for us, the last year or so has birthed heaps of incredible collaborations between some of our favourite ladies in music. Charli XCX is a repeat offender (one of the many things we love about her), but there's also some amazing team-ups between the likes of Cardi B, Janelle Monae and more.
Here are 10 awesome times women supported other women, whether on stage or in the studio, to celebrate International Women's Day this year. Revel in it!
Charli XCX & HAIM - Warm
Charli XCX's Pop 2 had scores of collabs with women and non-binary identities, including Carly Rae Jepsen, Kim Petras, Mø, cupcaKKe and Dorian Electra, and leading into her next album Charli, she's kept the support for other women going. She's called upon LA sister trio HAIM for Warm and it's like you've never heard HAIM before. Gone are the sunny guitars and '90s pop-influenced rock, instead swapped out for Charli's trademark PC Music sound with tinkling synths and glitchy samples.
Cardi B & Kehlani - Ring
Cardi B and Kehlani in matching blonde wigs together is basically our kryptonite. These two are a match made in heaven - Kehlani's sweet vocals juxtapose Cardi's rough rhymes so perfectly, we're surprised they don't work together more often. The amazing video aside, the song traipses heartbreak territory in an understated way we love.
Taylor Swift & Hayley Kiyoko - Delicate
As much as we wish this was an in-studio collab, the two just jumped up on stage together for this awesome duet. Basically Hayley pulled Taylor up on stage to perform a personal, stripped back version of Delicate at a charity event in NYC. One of the biggest things we love about this is how pop stars at the top of their game like Taylor are ushering in a new era of stars like Hayley.
TAYLOR SWIFT AT ALLY COALITION WHAT THR HELL pic.twitter.com/0tvrYLBx8Q
— jonah (@planettropico) December 6, 2018
Kacey Musgraves & Hayley Williams - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Despite Paramore's Hayley Williams leading a life of pop punk, growing up in Nashville it's no surprise that she's got a strong country music vein in her too (obviously you can hear this in her voice all the time). So when Grammy-winning Kacey Musgraves was in Nashville last week playing some shows, ol' Hayls was on hand to jump up to duet on Cyndi Lauper classic, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Not only is it cool to see these two dropping a cover of a girl power classic, we're loving two gals from very different genres absolutely killing it on stage together.
Who run the world?!@KaceyMusgraves @yelyahwilliams pic.twitter.com/uYWXh2D6ac
— Ethan Bailey (@The_EthanBailey) February 28, 2019
Janelle Monae & Grimes - PYNK
If feminist energy is what we're talking about, Janelle is it. Her entire Dirty Computer record is a celebration of all things pussy power, sexual liberation and femininity in its variety of manifestations, and PYNK with Grimes is the posterchild. Don't even get us started on the video.
Kim Petras & SOPHIE - 1, 2, 3 dayz up
German pop princess Kim Petras and Scottish enigma SOPHIE have collaborated on a brand new song that came out in March. What's notable about this is that rarely do we see trans women in the musical spotlight - to see two prominent trans artists actually collaborate on a track is a huge step forward. Stylistically, it'll remind you heaps of Charli XCX. After all, all three women have worked together before on Charli's stuff.
Halsey & Lauren Jauregui - Strangers
It's not often you see a love song written about/featuring two bisexual women, let alone one by a chart-topping star like Halsey. In Strangers, she and Fifth Harmony's Lauren Jauregui get tender about a break-up between two women, a perspective we perhaps don't see too often in the mainstream music world. Musically, the duo's voices harmonise perfectly.
Rita Ora, Charli XCX, Bebe Rexha & Cardi B - Girls
This is basically the modern day Lady Marmalade, a collab between four pop ladies at the tops of their game. Verses from Charli and Bebe give this song a bit of spice, while Cardi's rap verse elevates it to a whole new level. The whole Garden Of Eden harem vibes is also a real aesthetic for Rita and her ladies.
Dua Lipa & St Vincent - Masseducation/One Kiss
Performed just recently at the Grammys, two stars from two parts of the world collaborated to look... amazingly identical. The mirrored effect of this performance had us obsessing over it, and the duo definitely dialled up the chemistry for their mash-up of two sultry songs. More Dua and St Vincent please.
Mallrat & Maggie Rogers - Video Games
It's clear Brisbane's Mallrat is making some friends as she traipses the world on tour, making fans of Charli XCX and now evidently, Maggie Rogers. Just recently, Mallrat wanted to cover Lana Del Rey's Video Games, and Maggie actually jumped on back-ups to provide some absolutely heavenly harmonies. We hope Lana gets wind of this and makes a Video Games remix with Mallrat and Maggie a reality.
when @maggierogers is your back up singer? thank you @LanaDelRey for your beautiful music pic.twitter.com/0G5zcpkqqX
— mallrat (@lilmallrat) March 2, 2019
