YONAKA is an alternative-rock band from England that is composed of nearly all men, in exception to their lead vocalist: Theresa Jarvis. As the lead vocalist, it is clear from the band’s official Instagram page that Theresa is the face of the band. After listening to their song “Seize the Power” and analyzing the lyrics of the song as well as familiarizing myself with the band’s Instagram, I have evaluated Theresa’s role in the band as having a mixture of a feminine and masculine image based off of the Sex Role Theory.
To start with, the song I analyzed, “Seize the Power” , has a very strong beat and a lot of heavy bass, guitar, and drums. Therea’s voice could be described as very forceful, independent, and assertive- all of which are identified as being masculine traits according the the Sex Role Theory. Lyrics such as “Introduce a new religion of feeling like a boss”, and “I do what I want it’s refreshing” demonstrate leadership, dominance, and independence. However, there are some conflicting more feminine-defined lyrics, such as “I got power, this power’s yours for the taking” and repeating the line “this power’s yours for the taking”. These lyrics come across as more yielding, which is defined as a feminine trait according to Sex Role Theory. So maybe this particular song by YANAKA is a bit more mixed as far as gender specific traits highlighted in the lyrics, but what about the band’s image, Theresa’s more specifically?
Starting with the Band’s Instagram; their profile photo is the one included in this post, showing the four band members in a row, all the men are sitting in matching white suits looking at the camera. Theresa is the only one standing and wearing different attire. Her arms are stretched out into a “T” like position, and she is staring straight into the camera. She is wearing an orange and white colored jumpsuit, and has layered a black corset-like piece over it and has paired it with black stiletto’s. This image seems to match the mixed feminine/masculine traits in the lyrics of “Seize the Power”. The jumpsuit traditionally feels more masculine and the colors orange and white don’t have a super specific gender identity associated with them. The corset and stiletto’s obviously are very feminine articles, but she has taken a different approach by wearing the corset over the jumpsuit therefore covering more skin. Seeing Theresa’s visual expression in this photo makes me think of another lyric from the song: “Give me a rule, I’ll break it.” It could be interpreted that this image of wearing the corset and heels in a less traditional way is Theresa’s way of breaking down the stereotypical representation of women in the music industry. Her identity is more complex than the typical female lead singer. One thing is certain, I think the placement and pose of Theresa standing above the other male members speaks to her role in the rock band. She may be the only female in her group, but she certainly has seized the power of the band.
Shared by: Em von der Ruhr
Image Credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQEdUVXHKn5/