Fefe Dobson
“I’m desperate, I’m bored, I’m begging for change, what if you’re normal and wanna be strange?” – As A Blonde
Best song: Don’t Let It Go To Your Head
Proof of girl power: If there is any artist who is totally underrated in modern pop it must be Fefe. She arrived on the scene around the same time as Avril and Kelly and the rest, and her fierce singing style and look obviously wasn’t as inviting as their bland blondeness which is about as rebellious as cheese on toast, so Fefe got left behind and it was an injustice, but when she returned with a 2nd album which is for me the best girl-rock album of the century so far, and received even less attention then it was frankly a total travesty. She’s now left her US record company but is working on new material and plans to release her 2nd album Sunday Love properly on a new label – hopefully soon!
Gene Serene
“Yeah, you know me, my personality can drive you crazy” – Gene Serene
Best song: Sound Of The Crowd
Proof of girl power: Probably the least famous person on this list, and very unfairly so. There are so many female-fronted electro-pop acts around and plenty have punkish images like Gene’s but very few make music anywhere near as ace as this. This is proper catchy 80s stuff and Gene brings such a fun spirit to it. She beats Ladytron or Juliet for me 10 times over.
Girls Aloud
“My feet don’t fit in your sensible shoes, and you just won’t quit till you kill my groove” – You Freak Me Out
Best song: No Good Advice
Proof of girl power: If you’re a pop fan in 2006 it’s pretty much a given that you like Girls Aloud, and if a band can win me over despite having evil incarnate Louis Walsh as their manager then they must be pretty special! Girls Aloud just seem to be having such a giggle all the time, and despite their fame they seem like pretty normal girls who grew up wanting to be popstars and unlike most they got their dream.
Gwen Stefani
“I’m ready to attack, gonna lead the pack, gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out!” – Hollaback Girl
Best song: What You Waiting For?
Proof of girl power: There are few, if any, female pop stars acer than Miss Stefani and the fact that she’s so very popular as well just makes it all the more brilliant. With her debut solo album she improved on her already great work with No Doubt with a fantastic Europop-style lead single and brought loads of fab styles into fashion, even if her outfits aren’t always what I’d choose to wear myself! She is never afraid to be herself and now she is leading the pack of stylish young celeb mothers with her super-cute baby Kingston.
Helen Love
“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, it’s great to be alive!” – Riding Hi
Best song: Debbie Loves Joey
Proof of girl power: The phrase “girl power” is usually attributed to ace 90s duo Shampoo, but it was actually this equally ace 90s indie-pop group who first recorded the words on their debut single Formula One Racing Girls, way back in 1993, 2 years before Shampoo’s Girl Power album and single were released. It wasn’t until last year’s brilliant single Debbie Loves Joey that I personally first took note of Helen Love and their previous material isn’t easy to get hold of, but what I’ve heard has all been ace with plenty of girl power indeed.
Jamelia
“You stole, you broke, you’re cold, you’re such a joke to me” – Thank You
Best song: Superstar
Proof of girl power: Here is one young lady who has succeeded completely against the odds. Her first album did vaguely well but not brilliantly, then she returned several years later with the fab but ignored single Bout. Superstar was undoubtedly her last chance and luckily its brilliance paid off and it became a huge hit, with Jamelia herself becoming a huge star since then. She’s been away again having her second child, but now she has returned with what looks like being her best album yet and I can’t wait to buy it.
Kylie Minogue
“I’m a red blooded woman, what’s the point in hanging round?” – Red Blooded Woman
Best song: Step Back In Time
Proof of girl power: Kylie is really doing it for the older ladies of pop at the moment – not only has she managed to stay hugely popular for nearly twenty years, but she is now in the final stages of fighting off breast cancer, showing immense strength and definitely girl power. I’m sure her musical and personal success has inspired so many women, Miss Minogue has heaps to be proud of. She even looks fab with no hair as well!