Favorite Female International Singer

[Travis]

Originally Posted by LukeA

Ah, her "I'm a serious artist" album- which also happened to happily coincide with those SAW douchebags going out of favor. Derrrp!

Fact remains she hasn't had a single chart hit that hasn't leaned (or completely relied) on producers/writers/her own celebrity. She's cute, she dresses well/is campy enough for her audience= CAREER

Luke, I don’t mind you calling out GaGa, HA, but Kylie is another story. She was a puppet in her early days, she admits this but, she is a great example of an artist coming into her own over time. There are artists that first come out as the “serious artist” type too soon, while others never seem to really get there and eventually fade into oblivion. Kylie however has lasted and has been around almost as long as Madonna (1983), Kylie (1987). When Rufus Wainwright came out with his top 10 diva icons, I think he summed up Kylie perfectly saying ….

“Kylie Minogue I love Kylie, she's the anti-Madonna. Self-knowledge is a truly beautiful thing and Kylie knows herself inside out. She is what she is and there is no attempt to make quasi-intellectual statements to substantiate it. She is the gay shorthand for joy.”

[Dodfather]

Originally Posted by LukeA

Ah, her "I'm a serious artist" album- which also happened to happily coincide with those SAW douchebags going out of favor. Derrrp!

Fact remains she hasn't had a single chart hit that hasn't leaned (or completely relied) on producers/writers/her own celebrity. She's cute, she dresses well/is campy enough for her audience= CAREER

Luke - do you follow her career at all? If so then you will know that the 1994 album was not the album you describe. To use your slating "I'm a serious artist" category then that would be 1998's Impossible Princess (released as Kylie Minogue in the UK for a silly reason). She wrote all the lyrics and co-wrote a lot of the music, including one track she did entirely on her own While that may not sound like an achievement in itself, in the context of your sweeping statements, it is.

This album is also one of her most internationally successful, with the singles from it being far more successful than some of those from her last 2 albums. This also questions your sweeping "theory" about not having a single chart hit that doesn; rely on... Also, name me one performer who has hada long career who doesn;t rely on their own image? Of course they do. Of course that may be an image of singer-songwriter worthiness, but it is an image of celebrity nonetheless.

[iamnotafraid]

DUFFY

Now if only Melody Gardot and Shelby Lynne
were on that list (not that Shelby's an international
singer).

Go Go Duffy.

[DefDumbandBlond]

The only one I really know more than one song from is Kylie, and I don't even listen to her really but she got my vote.

[LukeA]

Originally Posted by Dodfather

Also, name me one performer who has hada long career who doesn;t rely on their own image? Of course they do. Of course that may be an image of singer-songwriter worthiness, but it is an image of celebrity nonetheless.

Just one? How about, say, Steve Winwood? You can't be much more successful while artistically varied and relatively inconspicuous/un-photogenic than the career arc of teenage "Little Stevie Winwood" & the Spencer Davis Group/Blind Faith/Traffic/early 80's synth laden art rock/late 80's mainstream solo/critically acclaimed Adult-Alternative artist. What's Winwood's "image"?

[LukeA]

Originally Posted by Travis

Luke, I don’t mind you calling out GaGa, HA, but Kylie is another story. She was a puppet in her early days, she admits this but, she is a great example of an artist coming into her own over time. There are artists that first come out as the “serious artist” type too soon, while others never seem to really get there and eventually fade into oblivion. Kylie however has lasted and has been around almost as long as Madonna (1983), Kylie (1987). When Rufus Wainwright came out with his top 10 diva icons, I think he summed up Kylie perfectly saying ….

“Kylie Minogue I love Kylie, she's the anti-Madonna. Self-knowledge is a truly beautiful thing and Kylie knows herself inside out. She is what she is and there is no attempt to make quasi-intellectual statements to substantiate it. She is the gay shorthand for joy.”

All great points, Travis. I was pretty much mainly referring to her commercial success- particularly in the United States, where she doesn't have the benefit of being a household name.

[Musicman408]

Surprised Amy Winehouse wasn't on the list- but I voted for Adele!

[TrueFaith77]

Well Kylie is the best on this poll (I love her for working with Pet Shop Boys and Green Gartside(!)), but the poll is also skewed in her favor.

[Dodfather]

Originally Posted by LukeA

Just one? How about, say, Steve Winwood? You can't be much more successful while artistically varied and relatively inconspicuous/un-photogenic than the career arc of teenage "Little Stevie Winwood" & the Spencer Davis Group/Blind Faith/Traffic/early 80's synth laden art rock/late 80's mainstream solo/critically acclaimed Adult-Alternative artist. What's Winwood's "image"?

My point is that everyone has an image. An image of diversity like the one you describe is an image nonetheless - who said an image had to be fixed? They can evolve and change over time.

[Macfanforever]

I like a german singer called,Tina Rainford,she had a hit back in 1977 with the song " Silver Bird". on the Country charts here in the states.

Also if I include Bonnie Tyler,she has a awesome voice,when "Its a Heartache" came out in 1978,I had to find out who she was.Also Total Eclipse Of The Heart in 1983 was another favorite,As all of you probably notice the mistakes on the web about Stevie getting credit for singing Total Eclipse Of The Heart in which she does not.

[Justin Reach]

My vote would go for Kate Bush if she was on the poll.

[Dodfather]

Originally Posted by Justin Reach

My vote would go for Kate Bush if she was on the poll.

Oh, she so should be...

[MissLadyLoki]

I'll be honest, I didn't know anyone except for Shakira, and since I had liked the song Hips Don't Lie, I voted for her.

[JWS]

I've never heard of any of them. Is this a joke?