Freedom for Women in Music By Jesse http://slicer69.tripod.com/ There is a new age in music. Welcome to the age of women-who-no-longer- are-trapped-by-the-music-industry. This age was issued in this year, 2003, by a number of young, previously pop, artists. Though I'm not sure exactly when this new age was issued in, I think it started around the same time Christian Aguilara released her album "Stripped". She shocked music fans with her new "bad girl" image. Piercings, ass-less chaps and provocative lyrics. The little artist proclaimed to the world that her previous (cute, good girl) CD was not what she wanted to do. It had been forced on her by the music industry. Now she considered herself an artist, no longer simply an entertainer. Well, the new image certainly looks and sounds fake. However, it is a great marketing move. Shock 'em, sell 'em. So, real or not, she made a strong move that sold records. Let's skip ahead a little in time, shall we? Nelly Furtado has now released her new album. It's a little more "her" and a little less "pop music industry". It seems that she wants to let the music inside her come out so that it comes first over money, time, etc. This sounds a little familiar, however. Moving away from the middle-of-the-road pop artist look? Sure, why not? Everyone is doing it. Move ahead a little more.... ....And we find that Britney Spears has released a new CD. She claims that her new, undressed, woman-kissing look is more experimental, less pop-princess and (you guessed it) less music industry. This is who she is, now. Mmmhmmm, yep. Isn't it odd that three women, releasing three CDs this year, all claimed that the music industry trapped and sapped their talent before? That this is the first look we have of the real artist behind the labels and crap? It sounds to me like a load of bullshit, pardon my French. It sounds just as cookie cutter, just as rehearsed and just as faked as before. It sounds like a new marketing move, it sounds like a way to get attention. Most of all, it sounds like a way for artists to separate themselves from a currently unpopular music industry. With lay-offs, the RIAA suing everyone in sight and a fan base tried of the same old thing, this is a perfect move. Hey, look at us, we're different! Yeah, I'd buy that....if you didn't all say the same thing! Another thing Spears, Furtado and Aguilara all have in common is the shot gun approach to their new records. Aguilara's album, for example, has a mix. From the shocking and sexy "Dirrty" to the sweet and shy "Beautiful" to the powerful "Fighter". She hits a wide range of style and topics. Good, but it sounds like it should be on different CDs. Spears' new CD goes from cheap with "Showdown" to sexy with "Me Against The Music" to funny with "Early Mornin'". Furtado's new hits....Well, it's hard to pin down. However, it sounds like that with five different tracks, she's wandered through five genres of music. Some which may not have labels yet. This leads me to believe that if this was the raw artist, exposing herself, these women must be awfully scatter brained. I mean, diverse. Yes, that's it diverse. My suggestion to each of them is to leave the acting to movie stars and keep on singing.