Courtesy of Creative Head/E Online/Paste.

Last week, I talked about how important positive representation is and explained where my love for Yuna came from. This week, I‰’ll talk about some other great women in music who have also been positive influences in my life.

First up is Shingai Shoniwa from the Noisettes, a British band that I was obsessed with all throughout high school. A lot of the musicians that I had been listening to during this time period were white men: Arctic Monkeys, Fall Out Boy, The Maccabees, Foals, The Strokes, etc. It gave me the perception that women were just not suited for rock music.

Cue Shoniwa, the lead singer of the Noisettes who dances barefoot on stage, wears bright and daring outfits, and plays bass. She is so unapologetically herself, proud of her heritage and willing to experiment not just in music but also fashion. From her style to her hair, she was being herself and doing what she loved.

As the Noisettes made a transition from garage rock roots to soul pop vibes, I followed suit. I‰’d gotten bored of screechy feedback from electric instruments and turned to something more retro. That was the era of Amy Winehouse and rediscovering Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. One night, I‰’d stumbled across a little known musician from Kansas City and her android character Cindi Mayweather.

Janelle MonÌÁe built a different world with her music and breezed through different genres from R&B to funk to disco. Everything she did was impactful and uplifting; she made music because she loved it but she also had a message to deliver. She wore suits in black and white to honor her working class background, when she used to be a maid, and also with her parents wearing uniforms to their jobs.

The underlying significance of her presence was this: be yourself. And on top of that, while being yourself, don‰’t forget about others around you; on your way up, bring others with you too.

That‰’s such a powerful message that is often brushed aside. With solo pop artists like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga that make it seem as if individual success is the ultimate goal, MonÌÁe shines as a great leader in sisterhood.

Lastly, folk singer Thao Nguyen gave me a lesson in quiet power and remembering my roots. She does music and volunteer work while being lowkey. It was a lesson in humility, that satisfaction in my work or life did not come other people‰’s praise but from my own recognition. At her DC show last year, her mom stood in the backstage area, beaming proudly. It reminded me that whatever disagreements I had with my mom, she had worked hard to give me the best and I would never forget that.

Now, there are many other women in music that I could go on about but it would take about a full year to explain all of them and the lessons I‰’ve learned. So here are three great artists that not only make fantastic music (objectively speaking, really!) but have also taught me lessons in confidence, creativity, humbleness, and community.

Credit: Title from Janelle MonÌÁe‰’s “Electric Lady‰Û.