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From Beyoncé to Celine: podcasts about the mightiest women in music

Is it the raw talent or the intense dedication to performance? Or maybe it’s the attitude, the ‘IT’ factor, that charms audiences all around the world. From Aretha to Beyonce to Celine — we bring you podcasts about some of the mightiest women in music.
CBC Radio ·
Beyonce Knowles performs onstage during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field on April 14, 2018 in Indio, California. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella)

Originally published on February 27, 2020.

(Submitted by podcast)

We've all experienced a failure that shaped our life. For Beyoncé, it was losing Star Search to the rock band Skeleton Crew in 1993. While Skeleton Crew wasn't made to last, Beyoncé kept going. She even included a clip from the moment her girl group Girl's Tyme found out they lost Star Search in the video for Flawless.

It's amazing to think a moment that was long forgotten by most other people, pushed Beyoncé to be the powerhouse she is today. I love this story from WBEZ's Making Beyoncé because it shares insight into the psyche of one of the most talented (and secretive) performers out there.  

- Kate Evans, Senior Producer, Podcast Playlist

Podcasts featured this week:

(Courtesy of podcast)

Making Beyonce: "Before the Grammys, before the platinum records, before Destiny's Child, there was just a shy girl growing up in Houston. We follow Beyoncé Knowles from the stages of local talent shows to her first crack at a record deal with the group Girls Tyme."

Dolly Parton's America: "One of Dolly's most iconic and successful songs is "Jolene," a song that, at first listen, is about a romantic rival trying to steal her man: a prime example of the classic "cheating song."  But some see it as flipping a popular country music trope on its head."

Switched on Pop: The Switched on Pop team join forces with producer Gina Delvac to talk about the evolution of Rihanna and her much anticipated ninth studio album.

The Big Story: "Céline Dion has been many things throughout her career, but 'cool' has rarely been one of them. As one of the bestselling artists to call this country home Céline should have won us all over long ago. But she never quite broke through to the more cynical younger generation. Until that generation stopped being cynical, that is."

Inside the Junos: "Alanis Morissette burst on the scene with 'Jagged Little Pill' and shook up the music world. Her magic says Chilly is, 'that strange yodel, that weird break in her voice that makes the vocal performance so raw and so real.'"

Heat Rocks: "Heat Rocks had always planned to sit down with DJ Lynnée Denise, an LA-based DJ and music scholar, but when Aretha Franklin passed on August 16th, we invited her to come talk with us about the Queen's life and legacy as part two of our series Women Behaving Boldly."

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