After the rise of such movements such as the #MeToo movement and #HijaAko in our own shores, it is clear that the current wave of feminism is pushing back against outdated ideals of how a woman should behave and dress. Known as the fourth-wave of Feminism, it is defined by Bustle in a 2015 article as “queer, sex-positive, trans-inclusive, body-positive, and digitally driven.” As such, it comes as no surprise that many female artists of this generation have included this message into their art.
For Thai-Italian singer song-writer SILVY, this means presenting a version of modern womanhood that isn’t perfect, but authentic and true. This mirrored her own journey into accepting who she is as an artist.
“The way I am, just like this, it comes from the part where I already tried to fit into the standard. I realized that I already tried and I will never be enough to other people. So I just started being my own self and not let other people’s opinion drown out the voice in my head,” she said.
SILVY first started singing as a child, with her mother introducing her to “diva” artists such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Later, she found herself in a label that she described as “strict” and left her feeling confined into a beauty standard that always told her she was not enough. Eventually, she left the label and found her own voice as an artist, debuting with her body positive English single, “XL.”
“This song ‘XL’ is all about confidence. I wanted to write a song that people can sing, dance, shake their booties to with pride – no matter what shape or size they are. I really share my personal story in this one, about the time I overcame my deepest insecurity,” she commented.
Almost like a follow up to “XL”, her next single “Queen” is also an upbeat power anthem that encourages everyone to “come out and be their true selves.” Combined with her powerful voice and authoritative stage presence, SILVY crafts a song that practically forces people to embrace their true selves without any fear.
“I just want people to feel the beat and dance to it, it’s just an uplifting song. Every time you open “Queen” you would feel like a queen even if you’re just going to the market to buy groceries,” she joked.
“I just want people to find their own way, that’s what I’ve been struggling with and I want people to find their own way too,” she added.
With many of her songs centering around women empowerment, SILVY believes that artists such as herself have the responsibility and “the power to influence people.”
“Artists have the power of influencing people. I have been doing this type of content in my social media for a while now, but it gets nowhere. But once I do it in a song, it makes a lot more people understand and get the subject very quick, cause it’s just three minutes. And if you get the message right, a song can be very impactful to make one person feel something.”
SILVY’s “XL” and “Queen singles are now available on major streaming platforms.