Lyrical themes in songs sung by many female vocalists in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, for the most part, focused on passive romantic relationships, heartbreak, and unrequited love.
During this era, melodramatic synth-pop and power ballads explored matters of emotional submission, intense yearning, and an inability to leave.
The 1990s however, saw a dramatic shift in the way female vocalists expressed themselves. The decade witnessed "girl power" and a hip-hop catalyst. Suddenly, the message was all about examining real-life issues and championing female solidarity, desire, and mutual empowerment in the face of a hostile, male-dominated society.
The new millennium took this new reality even further. Lyrics emphasized radical self-love, inclusion, mental health struggles, systemic double standards, and sexual autonomy. Today, the overriding theme of women's song lyrics is unapologetic independence and emotional transparency.
In this gallery, we track 30 female artists through the 1980s and 1990s and into the 2000s to examine how lyrical themes have changed over the past 40 years or so. Click to continue reading.