Source: Getty
King Bey has sparked a resurgence on a higher level of expressing female sexuality in music — specifically black women’s sexuality. And since we’re dedicated to black women, we thought it be cool to highlight female artists who have explicitly expressed themselves sexually in their music to much controversy and praise. Regardless of how critics debate it, these female artists didn’t promote unsafe sex, but they promoted exploring your sensual side, which men are privileged and praised to do without the double standard.
Here’s to celebrating female sexual empowerment with these iconic pop divas and 15 moments in pop culture history.
Beyonce
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): New self-titled album with sexually explicit hits “Drunk in Love” and “Partition”
She’s gone on the record saying being a pop idol prevented her in the past from expressing herself sexually, but with her new critically acclaimed and commercially successful fifth album, those days are over. Beyonce has been a sex symbol since her days in Destiny’s Child, but she’s taken it up to a new level.
Some have praised her as a womanist and some cough… cough… (white feminists) say she can’t exist in a space of feminism because of her sexuality. Whatever, yes, she can!
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/p1JPKLa-Ofc?version=3&hl=en_US
Madonna
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): “Like a Virgin” VMA performance, Erotica and Sex, the coffee table book.
Madonna was already a pop star, but her icon status started at the 1984 VMAs with her “Like a Virgin” performance. Since, she’s became the most important woman in pop music and has broken down barriers and pushed the limits of sexual expression in her music and imagery.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/jbmszeK5-L4?version=3&hl=en_US
Janet Jackson
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): janet. album featuring “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “Anytime, Anyplace”
This album was her sexual awakening and is credited as a sexually liberating moment in music for women. Don’t believe me? Look at this iconic Rolling Stone cover and alternative album cover to the left. Or jam to “If” below while you call her Ms. Jackson because you’re nasty.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/wyciLWAv9BA?version=3&hl=en_US
Toni Braxton
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): Secrets era
She went from being R&B’s girl next door to a sultry R&B diva. She got in touch with her sensual side with her Secrets album — producing many sexay hits with her deep yet smooth voice. She became a sex symbol in this era effortlessly.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/wIgOL21S98o?hl=en_US&version=3
TLC
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): CrazySexyCool
They talked about girls sticking up from themselves and safe sex with their debut album. But with their second album, CrazySexyCool they became women. And they explicitly talked about getting it in and created a legendary, groundbreaking R&B album. The album went diamond in the US and became one of the best selling albums of all time.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/dP2t9LBeAwo?version=3&hl=en_US
Christina Aguilera
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): “Dirrty”
She dropped the good girl act with her sophomore album became more of a dirty girl — separating herself from her pop counterpart Britney Spears. Aguilera decided to be straightforward in her sexuality — in a gritty manner. She promoted body empowerment with “Beautiful” and female empowerment with “Can’t Hold Us Down” — reinventing herself.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/4Rg3sAb8Id8?hl=en_US&version=3
Rihanna
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): Good Girl Gone Bad, S&M and many more moments.
Rihanna broke her good girl image with her third album and since she’s gotten more and more explicitly sexual — talking about men giving it to her right, well-endowed men, sadomasochism and pouring it up. Also, her signature dance is the pu$$y pat and she’s not too shy to show off some skin. OK, A LOT of skin… like every five hours on Instagram — making headlines.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/KdS6HFQ_LUc?hl=en_US&version=3
Salt-n-Pepa
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): “Let’s Talk About Sex” and many more hits about men, sex and relationships
They smartly talked about sex and relationships. Like men objectifying women, they talked about men as objects; called out scrubby men; promoted safe sex and healthy relationships as well as love — on many of their hits. They pioneered women talking about sex in a hip-hop space.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ydrtF45-y-g?version=3&hl=en_US
Lil Kim
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): Boob pasty at 1999 VMAs
She’s the Queen Bee. She explicitly became a sex icon with her Hard Core album and her explicit take on female sexual experiences — not leaving anything to the imagination with her first two albums. But her most iconic moment was at the 1999 VMAs with the pasty over her boob, which Diana Ross fondled.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/yhCD9qxlczo?version=3&hl=en_US
Nicki Minaj
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): Her Black Barbie Persona
I can’t really pick one Minaj iconic moment, but she took over the thrown that Lil Kim once had and she has explicitly used herself as a sexual object while consciously promoting female empowerment. She took on other personas to express herself sexually in her music.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/4JipHEz53sU?version=3&hl=en_US
Britney Spears
Iconic Sexual Moment(s):
Rolling Stone cover and VMA performances.
This 1999 Rolling Stone cover secured her as a good girl, with a not so innocent persona. She took notes from Madonna and Janet Jackson for sure, but she put her own teen tease twist on her image. Her 2000, 2001 and 2003 were sexually iconic. And 2001 self-titled album secured her as an adult artist. And we can’t forget her making out with Madonna at the 2003 VMAs.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/Mzybwwf2HoQ?hl=en_US&version=3
Katy Perry
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): “I Kissed a Girl”
This is her first and most iconic hit yet. I believe she’s toned down her sexuality in her lyrical content in her many recent pop number one hits, but this song went down in history as sexually liberating — discussing relations between women.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/tAp9BKosZXs?hl=en_US&version=3
Tina Turner
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): Her Legs
Those legs. Those legs! THOSE LEGS! Those legs are sex symbols all by themselves. Her raspy, powerful and sultry vocals crooned over many sexy R&B, soul and rock hits. “Private Dancer” was one of her many hits that showed off the Queen of Rock’s sensual side.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/d4QnalIHlVc?version=3&hl=en_US
Donna Summer
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): “Love to Love You Baby”
She moaned her way to a hit with this song and melted hearts doing so. She’s became one of the quintessential disco and dance queens with many more ‘bad girl’ hits under her belt — becoming a legendary sex symbol before becoming a devoted Christian.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/upIstttL9ew?version=3&hl=en_US
Miley Cyrus
Iconic Sexual Moment(s): 2013 VMAs Performance, misappropriating twerking and Bangerz
This is kind of a contradiction for me. It was really hard to put her on this list since she misappropriates black culture. But she’s found a way to express herself sexually and she feels empowered by it, I guess. Her music is catchy and bold though. It’s her culturally imagery that’s unfortunate.
//www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/LrUvu1mlWco?hl=en_US&version=3
