In honor of Women’s History Month, International Women’s Day on March 8, and the 50th anniversary of Helen Reddy’s hit “I Am Woman,” Universal Music Entertainment (UMe) is spotlighting a collection of empowering women in music with an online destination and other platforms spotlighting and celebrating women and female artists across all genres.
Videos by American Songwriter
The “I Am Woman” campaign, named after Reddy’s 1972 feminist anthem, includes a new lyric video for the iconic song, along with a streaming playlist featuring more than 170 songs by female artists.
Kicking off with “I Am Woman,” the playlist also includes Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”, “You’re No Good” by Linda Rondstadt, Deana Carter’s “Did I Shave My Legs For This?,” Mickey Guyton’s ‘Remember Her Name,” “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross, Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” and “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
In addition to the playlist and new lyric video for “I Am Woman,” the I Am Woman celebration includes related merchandise available at uDiscover, online stories highlighting various female music artists, I Am Woman-themed EPs, and a conversation series featuring Emmy-winning musical director Robin Urdang, music supervisor at Reel Music, singer Kiana Ledé, UMG employees, and other women in music.
An “I Am Woman” public mural, designed by Sara Serna and painted by Marcine Franckowiak, and themed around the inspiring song and slogan, is also on display for several weeks in Venice, California at 1239 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
In partnership with Cameo, featured influencer video content around songs like Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” and Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman,” will benefit She Is The Music.
The song, off Reddy’s 1971 debut album I Don’t Know How to Love Him, went on to inspire a generation of young women seeking equal rights and was also featured in the 1972 film Stand Up and Be Counted and earned the Australian artist a Grammy Award for Best Female Performance.
In addition to being the first song written by an Australian artist to win a Grammy, “I Am Woman” was also the first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by an Australian-born artist.
“I thought about all these strong women in my family who had gotten through the Depression and world wars and drunken, abusive husbands,” said Reddy in a 2003 interview with Sunday Magazine in Australia. “But there was nothing in music that reflected that. The only songs were ‘I Feel Pretty’ or that dreadful song ‘Born A Woman.’ These are not exactly empowering lyrics.”
Reddy added, “I certainly never thought of myself as a songwriter, but it came down to having to do it.”
Check out the I AM WOMAN hub site for the campaign HERE.
