2024's Over-Achieving Women in Music
GRAMMYS Pregame for 2025
In This Issue
2024 Women’s Achievements in Music
2025 GRAMMYS Pregame
Premium Content: Thea’s Journey To The GRAMMYS
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2024's Over-Achieving Women in Music
You may have read a dozen different “best of” music lists for 2024, including Women Writers Wrap 2024: Songs That Mattered Most & Why. Check out Herizon Music’s Substack recommendations if you want to see more cross-genre lists from writers worldwide.
Before we jump into 2025, let’s reflect on where women in music went above and beyond in 2024. Here are highlights that came across my feed. If you have more, please leave them in the comments section with a link. I’d love to hear from you! (Sorry to say that only paid subs can comment on issues with a paywall. I’m hoping Substack will change that restriction in 2025.)
Billie Eilish’s “Birds of A Feather” generated the most streams for a song EVER on Spotify with 1,787,950,841 streams since September 27th. Whoa! The video shows Billie in an abandoned corporate office wearing skate punk attire. An invisible force pulls her through various rooms as she sings. The effects are cool, but if you have an explanation as to how this ties into the lyrics, please share. Meanwhile, you can add to her Youtube numbers (almost 167 million as of this writing) by watching the video here.
Taylor Swift’s “Era’s Tour” became the highest grossing tour of all time, generating over $2.2 billion in ticket sales, according to Pollstar. That’s nearly double the previous highest-grossing tour. Breaking one record is never enough for the superstar. Swift released Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour film in Oct. 2023 directly to theaters. It became the all-time highest grossing concert film earning $261.6 million globally by January of 2024.
The Queen of Music festivals in 2024 was Chappell Roan. As Pollstar stated about her festival draw: “Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits – all of which experienced what were believed to be stage records when she performed.” In case there is any doubt, look at the crowd in front of her stage at ACL, Weekend 1. A drag-inspired lesbian from the Midwest with an all-female band slaying it on the music festival circuit? Shows just how far we’ve come culturally.
Music is The Great Uniter.
In February, Beyoncé became the first black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with her song “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Per Herizon Music’s article “Why Beyoncé’s #1 Country Hit Matters,” she conquered other records with her smash hit:
First woman to hit #1 on seven of Billboard’s song charts as a solo artist: the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Hot Gospel Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Only Justin Bieber has led more hybrid song charts (8).
First woman to top both Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since the charts launched in 1958.
Beyoncé joins Taylor Swift as the only solo women to debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
Queen Bey performed the song for the first time live in Houston on Christmas Day. Get up outta your seat, clear some space, and sing and dance along in celebration.
Karol G won Billboard’s Woman of The Year Award. The international Latina sensation has charted a whopping 63 songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart, eight being #1 hits. And her album Mañana Será Bonito hit #1 on Billboard’s Top 200, the first all-Spanish language album to do so by a female artist. This is my favorite Karol video. The beach-side bar karaoke scene is endearing and so unpretentious.
2025 GRAMMYS Pregame
In preparation for my first trip to the GRAMMY’s, January’s posts and podcasts will focus on GRAMMY-related spotlights. Stay tuned for Herizon Music podcast episodes featuring:
Kaytee Long Becker, founder of DIY Public Relations. Her team has secured over 3,000 press placements, four GRAMMY nominations, one GRAMMY win and generated more than one billion impressions for their creative clients. She breaks down what “FYC” (For Your Consideration) marketing is all about going for that GRAMMY nom and win, including what doesn’t work!
Radhika Vekaria is a 2025 GRAMMY Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album Award for her album nominee for Warriors of Light. An award-winning multi-instrumental sensory artist, Radhika is an innovative sacred artist. Among her many accolades, she was the first mantra artist to play at SXSW and has performed for spiritual luminaries like Deepak Chopra and HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Why not start off 2025 with a little Purification Prayer?
Premium Content: Thea’s Journey To The GRAMMYS
I’m sharing my personal journey to The GRAMMYS. If you are curious about what a non-celebrity experiences before, during, and after the awards ceremony, tune in! Upgrade to a paid subscription and gain access to everything from buying tickets (this issue) to hair and makeup to getting to the red carpet, to the actual awards ceremony, to the post-awards recovery.
Warning: You will see photos of me that are less than flattering! Hopefully, I’ll offset them with some celebs pics, live music videos (I’m coordinating a trip to at least one rock/punk show while in L.A.), and memorable moments.
Thea Gets Tickets To The 67th GRAMMYS - Barely!
Becoming a Recording Academy member in 2023 checked off one of the top bucket list items of my career. How ironic that professional commitments to the VRLive Studio in Maui took precedence over attending the GRAMMYS in 2024. So getting tickets this year was top priority, and I had to time it just right… And just like any other hot ticket purchase, panic ensued.