Does it really matter that the things Alanis mentioned in Ironic weren’t, in fact, ironic at all? It doesn’t to me. It’s such a catchy song. This was, by any measure, one of the biggest albums of the 90s. It has great, catchy songs with direct lyrics and great hooks.
It feels that while it is reductive to define music by gender (I mean, while they have best female artists lists, they don’t have best male artists do they? It’s just best artists lists… but I digress).
There was a wave of strong female artists in the 90s that walked to the beat of their own drum. Prior to the 90s, female artists were largely found singing bubble-gum pop. I know there were exceptions (Debbie Harry, Maryanne Faithful, Chrissy Amphlett, etc) but most female artists weren’t really taken seriously.
The problem with naming artists is that you generally forget someone important (Kate Bush! Siousxie Sioux!). Entire books could be written about the rise of female rock stars. But the point still stands, prior to the 90s most female artists were considered a novelty.
In the 90s, a wave of female artists emerged (Gwen Stefani, Shirley Manson, Courtney Love, PJ Harvey, Bjork, Tori Amos, Ani DiFanco, Aimee Mann to name but a few) and showed that they had something to say, that they had the chops, they could write great songs and they were a force to be reckoned with.
Alanis Morisette was probably the biggest selling of these artists. It’s no accident that this album was so successful. Just look at the songs Ironic, You Outta Know, Hand In Pocket, You Learn. These songs were inescapable in the 90s. They’re all great. And so is this album
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