Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez: Reckoning With Male Gaze

We’re all familiar with social patriarchy —a social world organized under compulsory heterosexuality. Only the heterosexual male desire is accepted as “natural” and “normal,” whereas all other sexual practices and desires are considered as “abnormal” or “an exception.” It’s a structure prioritizes men's pleasure. Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez who is a Brooklyn-based singer/composer created her latest single “Better For You” highlighting how women contort themselves physically and emotionally to be more desirable. It shows clearly the impact of the heterosexual male gaze on women but at the same time, it shows us how women can prioritize their pleasure. She invites us into her unique sonic world with harmonic nuance and lyrical poetry. We talked to Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez about her music and personal life. Check our exclusive interview with Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez to learn more about her.

Liberty Styles: When Times Are Tough, Music Unites Us

While some people have never understood music, for some people music shapes who you are. One of those people is Liberty Styles. She says 'Music has always occupied most of my time/thoughts even if I wasn’t necessarily doing it professionally.' Her second EP Roam Wide, which is set where she grew up, reflects complicated emotions like love, isolation, and coming together during tough times. She is influenced by many styles of music including jazz, funk, flamenco, grunge, alternative. Tap dance is the main thing that shapes her music. Liberty also wanted to honor the strength of working womxn with The Waitress, which is a unique example of solidarity. She shows her activism in different ways and all proceeds from this tape will go directly to G.L.I.T.S., a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. We talked to Liberty Styles about her music, future plans, and voluntaryeer projects. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Liberty Styles.

COVER - Victoria Konefal Dreams Of A Green Future

Victoria Konefal brings passion to this world by dreaming of a green future. You may know Victoria from her work on Day of our Lives, where she plays the fierce and independent Ciara Brady, and Victoria’s legacy is continuing to grow off-screen with her tremendous conservation efforts with organizations like Heal the Bay and Thirst Project. Conservation has taken a backseat during the turmoil of the pandemic and it is people like Victoria who are helping to put the spotlight back onto what we can do in our everyday lives to make a real contribution to conservation. In honor of Women’s History Month, we were very excited to talk to Victoria about the impact of a woman’s voice — we discuss her experience in Hollywood as an actress, working with women directors, and being an advocate for a better and brighter future. For more on Victoria Konefal, please read our exclusive editorial interview below.

Felin Destroys The Sexist Structures Of The Music Industry

Women in the music industry have been standing up, whether it’s via their music or their notions in society. Stockholm-based artist Felin is one of them. Her music, which she describes as “good pop melody with an edge and lyrics that makes a statement’,” represents a progressive shift in gendered power dynamics. She is aware that “Society keeps telling us we don’t have a choice but we can’t make too much noise” and her recently released latest single "Heroes and Villains" is making some feminist noises. The song is about women’s rights, gun violence, and social injustices. She also wrote a song called "C19" during the pandemic to deal with all certain feelings of loneliness and uncertainty. She is a vocal feminist and activist and has previously campaigned for women’s abortion rights and promotes women’s rights with The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation in over 20 conflict-affected countries. We talked with Felin about her career and the representation of women in the music industry. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about her.

Claire London: The Dark Pop Princess, Romance, & Her Happily Ever After

Using romance as her muse, Claire London has released her single, “Young,” a track that accounts the ups and downs of her journey towards uncovering true love. Claire, now a mix of Neo-Soul-Pop, takes a subtle shift from the sonics of her discography since her debut album “Like A Machine” in 2011, filled with distorted bass lines and bluesy pop/rock. The once hailed as a dark pop princess has settled down, yet remains sharper than ever.

Her move from NYC to LA in 2016 could be considered a life altering fateful moment where she met her husband, developed a love for the outdoors, and co-founded a music community designed to empower women in the music industry called Female Frequency. Female Frequency’s goal is for every component of their music-making to be done by women, from start to finish, including all writing, instrumentation, arrangement, performance, production, engineering, mixing, mastering, marketing and creation of visual media. Please read our exclusive interview to learn more about Claire London.

Feminism and Mental Health: The Diary of Sravya Attaluri

“Today I choose to be happy.” These are very powerful words coming from artist and illustrator Sravya Attaluri. These are words we can all learn to live by a little more. Art is used for many things, but one of my favorites is when it is used to make you happy and to celebrate yourself. Well, I’m also all about it being used to fight the man and bring light to important issues. The beautiful thing about Sravya’s work is that she does all of the above! Born in India, raised in Korea and Hong Kong, Sravya uses her artistic and creative prowess to encourage feminist thought and debunk mental health stigmas. Please look here to read our exclusive interview with Sravya and see some of our favorites.