By Tyler Stone
Nowhere is Cuntism more necessary than in the music industry.
Sex symbolism runs rampant in this trade, and music cunts through time harness it by either owning it (Madonna, Miley Cyrus) or completely rejecting it (Lorde, Missy Elliott).
Some fail while others buck the system and stand out for all of us to take note. Where does a young cunt turn for inspiration in an industry that rewards sexism?
For me, my first cunt crush was Chrissie Hynde. She’s both soft and tough, and there’s no question who controls the reigns in her band The Pretenders. She was the first artist I could look up to as a young girl, to see what it meant to be the singer, the songwriter, the guitar player and band leader. This, I thought, was for me!
As a singer, Hynde commands her voice and the stage. She oozes with sexuality, but it's natural and unpretentious—not made up, packaged. Her voice shifts effortlessly from floating to growling to speaking.
Her songs cut to the heart of what it is to be a cunt in this world… Sometimes vulnerable: "Nobody wants to be with someone, so afraid they'll be left with a broken heart"
Sometimes confident: "I'm special, so special, I've gotta have some of your attention, give it to me!"
But more often, provocative: "Not me baby, I'm too precious, fuck off!"
Yup! That about sums it up.
As a guitar player, Hynde’s unmistakable flanged guitar defines her with parts that scratch and gnaw at you while her voice soothes. Coupled with her distinctive time signatures, her songwriting is in a class all its own.
She’s rarely spoken of as a guitar player, which is no surprise in the male dominated landscape that would rather focus on her more female-forward role as a singer. While The Pretenders were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, the only notable award one can find on Hynde's wiki page is her spot on The Guardian’s “50 best-dressed over-50s” list in March 2013.
Yeah...thanks. With all that crunchy goodness in her chops, too much notoriety would send little boys back into their rehearsal rooms with their tail between the legs and have to step up to keep up.
Born in Ohio (she wrote a song about it), Hynde lived her life as persistent as her guitar playing. All she knew was that she wanted to be in a band! She roamed through Britain and France, playing guitar with many bands, for many years. But it wasn't until she came back to the U.S. that she started her own band, The Pretenders, and had her ultimate success.
She continues to lead The Pretenders through the 21st century and be an inspiration to me and others. That includes Madonna, who after seeing Hynde play said, "It gave me courage, inspiration to see a woman with that kind of confidence in a man's world."
My thoughts exactly. Her credo—be who you are, do it yourself, never give up—is admirable and what makes her the ultimate music cunt.
Tyler Stone is a vocalist, musician, producer/remixer, DJ, and one of the first female house music producers. She’s achieved several top-ten Billboard Dance hits with her distinctive West Coast, deep house style.
Tyler lends her sophisticated programming and sultry vocals to her band Sutro and keeps her ear to the ground with her DJ residency. She is a voting member of The Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) and a Trustee for the Pacific NW Chapter.