Amy Winehouse: One of the most influential artists of our time

By Meghan Aslin

Amy Winehouse’s music is worth remembering.

Amy Winehouse is one of the most influential artists of all time. For readers who are unfamiliar with her work, Winehouse was jazz-pop star who reigned as one of the biggest musical divas of the early 2000s. Winehouse, was not immune to the external and internal struggles many talented artists face. At age 27, Winehouse was found dead due to alcohol poisoning in her Camden, London house. Substance abuse was common for Winehouse, so much that the public was not terribly surprised when the news about her death was released.

After years of analyzing and obsessing over her substance abuse that eventually led to her passing, many listeners have sadly focused on the fact that she was an alcohol and drug addict, minimizing her to unclassy, inferior, and crude. These judgments will keep listeners from hearing great music. It is true that her complicated life greatly influenced her music and this can be seen in the provocative tone created by her use of bass, rhythm, and vocal runs. Often stereotyped as “trashy”, her music actually freed listeners, other artists, and herself from the strict unspoken conduct that confined the music of so many female artists before her.

In 2006, after her hit album “Back To Black” dropped, Winehouse won several Grammys for such awards as Best Song of The Year, Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Record of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album of the Year. She has also inspired some of the biggest recent artists of our time, including but definitely not limited to Florence and The Machine, Lana Del Rey and Adele. In a 2011 tribute to her idol, Adele said, “I feel like I owe 90 percent of my career to [Winehouse]. Because of her, I picked up a guitar and because of her, I wrote my own songs. The songs I got signed on were the songs that I wrote completely on my own – if it wasn’t for her, that wouldn’t have happened.

Winehouse put thought into every chord and lyric that she wrote. Winehouse’s lyrics — which were always original — tell the stories of her relationships with lovers, ex-lovers, drugs, friends: all vulnerable topics about her most intimate relationships. Along with her talent of producing poetic lyrics that leave listeners wanting more, the experiences that shaped her music, many of which are tragic, give listeners a chance to relate and perhaps feel less alone.

Amy Winehouse was not just an overrated female artist who wrote solely about breakups. Her music is neither cheap nor overrated. Although quite biased, I personally think that it is some of the best music that has ever been produced. It’s raw without being obnoxiously angst filled; jazzy without feeling like elevator music; empowering in its sensuality; and just poetic enough that the listener can interpret the lyrics in any way they need.

With such incredible music and talent, Amy Winehouse has created all kinds of music that can compliment any mood of the listener; therefore, there is no excuse to not listen to her — you may even fall as in love with her music as I did.