The female gaze is so much more than just a trope to discuss the medium of film. It’s turned into a way of life and a new and more accepting way to see the world. The male gaze and the heteronormative line it follows is so passe. The female gaze challenges the patriarchy by focusing on the sensual rather than the sexual.

Clenched jaws, brooding looks, flexed hands writhe with emotion, the female gaze is where it’s at. And this week we’re discussing the female gaze’s role in music and how it trumps the overpowering male gaze of oiled bodies, overly muscled men, and skimpy sexed-up school girl uniforms.

From boy bands to the allure of a guitar players’ hands to Halsey and Hayley Kiyoko, the female gaze takes many forms in music, as well as other forms of media. When misogyny has soured so much for fangirls, the female gaze is the gift that keeps on giving, so it was about time we looked into how it’s playing a role in changing the geography of the music industry.

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Sensual, Not Sexual: How The Female Gaze Challenges The Patriarchy