Breaking Music’s Gender Norm: Beyond Harry Styles
Dazed
In December of 2020, Harry Styles made history as the first man on the cover of Vogue. The cover drew both fierce praise and harsh criticism. Some deemed the cover “revolutionary,” while others, including conservative author Candace Owens, tweeted to “bring back manly men.”
What inspired this polarized response?
The British singer, 26, donned a ruffled Gucci ballgown for the cover. He has since explained that “putting gender labels on clothes is limiting.” Styles’ refusal to follow gender norms has made him the face of a movement towards gender fluidity in men’s clothing.
However, he is not the only artist who has pushed fashion and gender boundaries. Many male hip-hop artists do not receive the same recognition, despite existing in a genre of music that is less welcoming to changing gender norms.
Hip-hop has historically been male dominated; young men between the ages of 18-24 are the most frequent listeners of the genre. Fans and critics alike have deemed hip-hop a “masculinized space” without room for gender fluidity. Recently, several male artists have been forgoing this gender norm in favor of true self-expression.
Young Thug
Hailing from Atlanta, Young Thug is a major influence on the modern sounds of hip-hop and trap music. He’s also well-known for wearing traditionally women’s clothing in public, ad campaigns and on album covers.
Young Thug’s 2016 Calvin Klein campaign featured himself clad entirely in womenswear. In an interview, the rapper spoke out about his perceptions of gendered clothing. He explained that he had been wearing women’s clothing since age 12, and stated that "In my world, you can be a gangsta with a dress or you can be a gangsta with baggy pants. I feel like there’s no such thing as gender."
Young Thug’s defiance of gender norms extends to his music as well. His 2016 album “JEFFERY” featured the rapper in a periwinkle blue Alessandro Trinicone gown.
The rapper’s exploration of feminine clothing has been met with criticism; Complex writer Soo-Young Kim wrote that “dresses are for people with lady parts.”
Kid Cudi
American rapper and producer Kid Cudi wears feminine clothing both as a tribute to late Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain and as an expression of his own style.
During his April 2021 performance on “Saturday Night Live,” Cudi wore a floral dress, stating that it was a tribute to Cobain, who wore a similar gown on a magazine cover in 1993. He tweeted: “Virgil [Abloh] designed the dress for me. I told him I wanted to show love to Kurt with a floral print sundress and this man made a masterpiece…”
At the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City, Cudi wore a wedding gown, complete with a long veil and white shoes. The dress was designed by Eli Russell Linnetz, who confirmed that this outfit was also a tribute to Cobain.
At New York Fashion Week, Cudi wore a floor-length black skirt underneath a Nirvana sweatshirt. He explained his style choice, writing that “I knew it would piss some people off, but I love that.”
Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X originally rose to fame through his country/hip-hop hit “Old Town Road.” Throughout his beginnings in country music and his more recent additions to the hip-hop industry, Lil Nas X has faced criticism for his flamboyant, feminine style.
However, the artist has continued to push style boundaries in country and rap, two genres that heavily favor masculinity, by wearing stereotypically feminine clothes. During his 2021 appearance on Jimmy Fallon, Lil Nas X wore a long kilt by Louis Vuitton, and at the BET Awards, donned a blue-and-white brocade gown.
These three influential men in hip-hop prove that gender norms in fashion are changing fast, even in masculine spaces. In exploring fluidity through style, they are helping a new generation explore what fashion can mean beyond gender.
Naomi Abramowicz