Some of our esteemed writers pick their absolute must-listens from the last twelve months…

The Great Escape Festival returned for the first time since 2019 to blue skies and good times, and the VOCAL GIRLS team were there to absorb as much of the weekend as possible. 

In recognition of Black History Month, VOCAL GIRLS honours the undying cultural and political legacy of the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin.

In celebration of Black History Month, we delve into the life of the iconic Billie Holiday - a pillar of American jazz music and a powerhouse of a woman.

‘What happened, Miss Simone?’ A feature dedicated to the late, genre-fluid, singer-songwriter Nina Simone, in honour of Black History Month.

Last week we welcomed you to MOTH Club for the launch of our platform with amazing performances from Olivia Dean and Zola Courtney. If you missed out or just want to relive it, here's our roundup of the evening.

Thinking of volunteering at a festival but unsure if it’s for you? VOCAL GIRLS’ writer Amber Lashley has rounded up the highs and lows of her experience to help you decide if the juice is worth the squeeze!

As gigs and festivals return to our stages, we explore why community among fans is as important as the music itself.

In honour of Annie Mac’s final show on Radio 1, we’ve rounded up some of the reasons why the DJing legend is such a role model to so many.

We’re back up North and in the city of Sheffield! Here are some of the best spots to catch some long-awaited live music in the Steel City.

The next stop on VOCAL GIRLS ON TOUR is Sheffield! Meet our 10 favourite artists from the city who you should definitely check out.

In celebration of Pride Month, VG writer Claire Rothwell, has taken a look back at some of the incredible and talented LGBTQ+ artists who’ve shaped the industry to what it is today.

Continuing on our VOCAL GIRLS city tour of London, we’ve listed some of the capital's most treasured independent music venues to get you excited for post-Covid gigs!

We’ve headed to the capital as part of VOCAL GIRLS ON TOUR! Here are our top London picks that you should check out.

Our VOCAL GIRLS tour of Manchester wouldn’t have been complete without a stop at Canal Street’s Gay Village and a collection of queer Fringe events! Join us as we take a trip to some of the Drag community’s staple spots.

VOCAL GIRLS are on tour! We’re kicking things off up north, so here’s some of Manchester’s staple independent venues we recommend getting sweaty in.

Meet the artists defying the stereotypes of the previously male-led Manchester music scene.

Female artists are dominating music charts, record sales, and award nominations like never before, but they’re still vastly under-represented on festival line-ups.

Learn how to DJ with some of the industry’s biggest names.

With the lack of gender diversity a prominent issue within the music industry, Flo Stroud explores the role streaming sites play in creating divides between male and female artists.

Discover some of the most fascinating documentaries about women and LGBTQ+ artists working in music. 

If you’re hunting high and low for films featuring awesome music this lockdown, then we’ve got you covered! Read for some mainstream and lesser-known films heavily featuring music.

The trailblazing African American woman who invented a genre that took the world by storm.

Wendy Carlos' impressive career spans decades, and despite transphobic prejudice, she has changed the face of electronic music forever.

For Women’s History Month we remember feminist icon and classical composer, Dame Ethel Smyth.

Lola Grieve explores the musical and institutional structures upholding gender inequality in jazz, and the efforts being made to dismantle them

Russel T. Davies’ critically acclaimed series ‘It’s A Sin’ poignantly pushes the light and shade of life in the 80s, bringing the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community firmly into the consciousness of the mainstream. 

VG writer and Mental Health Nurse, Claire Rothwell discusses the power of music on the mind, both professionally and personally.

VOCAL GIRLS’ ultimate list of pick me up films to get you through lockdown 3.0

Young women so often launch the career of the legendary bands that ‘real’ music fans (ie. men) then wish to gatekeep.

Shows to watch that champion intersectional queerness

With just fifteen percent of record labels female-owned, the industry is still self-evidently a ‘boys club.’ Here are three female-owned labels you should get to know.

Why Martha Mckay of Pretty Preachers Club is calling for help to save her favourite venue!

Get to know the new artists killing it in the hip-hop scene.

Here’s our top 10 picks of music podcasts to listen to right now, all available for free on Spotify!

In 2000, Bruce Springsteen wrote a protest song called ‘American Skin (41 shots)’ which tells the story of Amadou Diallo, a black 23-year-old man who was shot to death on his own doorstep when a NYPD officer mistook his wallet for a gun — and shot him 41 times.

“We have lost an entire year’s income but not a year’s worth of costs”

Anxiety for what the future might hold has never felt more intense - but thanks to the tenacity of musicians, artists and performers from all over the world, we’re seeing our sorely missed concerts and club nights being recreated digitally!

Anthems of social justice, Maxi dress infernos and Mexican feminist heroes!

The future of pop is here, and it’s unapologetically queer.

In our first isolation dairies, Cristiana shares how music is getting her through the day-to-day in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Punk music has forever been embraced by many as an invigorating release in times of uncertainty and social change. Today with the added factor of isolation, music lovers are in great need of music that leaves you feeling energised, powerful and with a comforting sense of alliance.

Get to know the women changing the R&B and soul game in 2020

“Why was it that something as universal as music has been monopolised by men?”

The boys are certainly back in town but where’s everyone else?