ABSTRACT
In fact the historical and ideological effects of romanticism as an artistic and aesthetic movement are important in understanding the kinds of aesthetic values which continue to have discursive legitimacy in the world of popular music criticism. This chapter discusses the concept of creativity, the dichotomy of the feminine/masculine, and the discourse of romanticism. Efforts to gain credibility by taking up the position of lyricist or songwriter can often be seen as tokenistic attempts to attract an aura of musicality and acquire critical rather than commercial fame. The problem of the patriarchal positioning of the producer as individual author is a significant one from a feminist analysis because the producer remains 'one of the most powerful areas of the music business'. The chapter explores the way this taken-for-granted male creative role is represented in music press articles, and fan discussions in relation to the recorded performances of successful female performers.
