15 Female Singers with Short Hair You’ll Love Listening To

Some female musicians are known to change up their look often, while some have stayed true to an iconic style for most of their careers. But one thing’s for sure: these 15 female singers with short hair not only looked great on stage, but made some awesome music that I still love to this day!

Best Female Singers with Short Hair

How about we begin with Pink (also known as P!nk, of course).

1. Pink

Alecia Beth Moore Hart, professionally known as Pink, has been sporting her iconic short hairstyle for almost her entire career. The look suits her rebellious aesthetic, and has her still standing out from the crowd more than two decades after the release of her first album. 

Pink has always been loudly unique and independent, and she encouraged her fans to be the same. Her music is unapologetic and real, and her powerful voice carries emotion in an unparalleled way. 

Two of her most popular songs, “Raise Your Glass” and “Just Give Me a Reason (ft. Nate Reuss)”, a raucous pop anthem and a touching ballad respectively, are a great example of the masterful breadth of Pink’s work.

My Favorite Pink Song: “F**kin Perfect.” This song is a simple joy.  It is catchy and great as a loud and proud sing-along when you’re needing a pick-me-up. The message is indispensable and always good to remember: no matter what anyone says, you are perfect and loved. 

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2. St Vincent

Grammy award winning singer-songwriter and musician Annie Clark, known professionally as St. Vincent, has an eclectic fashion sense and has been known to change up her hair to match her current aesthetic theme.

St Vincent is adept at many different instruments and is known for experimenting innovatively with sound. Her lyrics are often very poetic and sometimes even parabolic. She has been called brilliant for the intricacy of her art and the technical complexity of her music. Between the delicate vibes of her debut album Marry Me and the more aggressive electronic sound of her self titled St Vincent, there is something in her discography for everyone.

My Favorite St. Vincent Song: “All of My Stars Aligned.” This song has a very subtle funkiness, with beautiful piano and a touch of David Bowie-esque guitar backing very classically arranged vocals. The lyrics are dreamy and evocative, haunting especially as the tone changes towards the end of the song. 

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3. Arlo Parks

Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho is a British singer songwriter who goes by the name Arlo Parks. She is still up and coming, with her debut album having come out in only 2021, but has very quickly made a name for herself especially in the queer indie music scene. Her sound is largely soft and acoustic, very mellow despite how the subject matter is often very raw and emotional. 

Arlo has made it clear that the experiences she sings about are her own; she cares very much about being genuine with her audience, and that vulnerability is likely a big part of why her music is so powerful.

My Favorite Arlo Parks Song: “Black Dog.” The title of this song is used as a metaphor for grief in this a bittersweet and straightforward list of all the things the speaker would do to take away their friends’ pain. The lovely vocals and simple strings do a perfect job of carrying the listener through the song like it is water flowing off the roof. 

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4. Hayley Williams

Pop-punk royalty Hayley Williams, lead singer of the band Paramore, has been rocking fun colors in her hair since the band’s debut in 2005. She even started her own successful line of vegan, cruelty-free hair dye called “Good Dye Young” with her stylist Brian O’ Connor. Hayley has always been bright, literally and metaphorically.

As the primary songwriter for Paramore, her words touched an entire generation of young people during the emo music revival of the mid 2000’s. Paramore came back from a 5 year hiatus in 2021, and Hayley is still bringing the high energy and incredible emotion to her performances that she always has. 

My Favorite Hayley Williams Song: “The Only Exception.” This song off Paramore’s album Brand New Eyes is still one of their most popular to this day. It was a legendary emo love anthem in the 2010’s, and holds a significant measure of nostalgia now for those who sang their hearts out in the performance halls that were their childhood bedrooms. 

5. Hamzaa

At 20 years old, R&B-Pop artist Malika Hamzaa has only one studio album and an EP in her discography– but if her raw talent has anything to do with it, she is likely on the brink of greatness. Hamzaa has a timeless, soulful voice and has been writing music since she was nine years old.

She sings about love and family and hard times, and she will have you hanging on her every word. It is easy to see how she seems to be leaving a good impression everywhere she goes; there is no shortage of high praise to be found about Hamzaa despite how recently she entered the scene.

My Favorite Hamzaa Song: “Red.” The first track on her debut album, “Red” may only be vocals and piano but it is anything but simple. Hamzaa’s effortless riffs as she sings about heartbreak will take your breath away, and maybe even transport you to an actual tiny jazz club filled with smoke.

6. Vienna Teng

Cynthia Yih Shih, otherwise known by her stage name Vienna Teng, is a singer-songwriter and talented pianist. She was successful almost immediately after her debut in 2002, appearing on both NPR and Letterman for the popularity of her first album Waking Hour.

Vienna Teng’s music is absolutely captivating, and she can give you goosebumps in a thousand different ways. With dazzling orchestral compositions, mathematically complex vocal arrangements and clever, emotional lyrics, some songs feel almost too good to be true.

My Favorite Vienna Teng Song: “Hymn of Axciom.” While it was difficult to choose just one favorite, this song undeniably stands out from Vienna Teng’s work. It is a completely acapella arrangement, and the layers of harmony are so precise that they almost sound like synth at times. This song is an otherworldly experience.

7. Rihanna

At only 30 years old, Robyn Rihanna Fenty has had quite the career. She was topping the Billboard charts at only 15 years old, and was a household name before she was out of her teens. Rihanna is the second best selling female music artist of all time, and she is hard to sum up. 

With an electric presence on and off stage, she manages to have a very chill, down-to-earth personality while simultaneously oozing elegance and a royal, elevated grace. Her genre of choice is usually hip-hop and her music tends to be very rhythmic and dancey, but she has a beautiful voice as well and has nailed the ballad plenty of times.

My Favorite Rihanna Song: “Love The Way You Lie (Part II)”. This track extends her popular collaboration with Eminem, with several more verses sung by Rihanna that extend the story from the more rap-heavy original track. The melodies in “Love The Way You Lie” are gorgeous and it is so pleasing to hear her sing uninterrupted. 

8. Laura Jane Grace

Most widely known for fronting the punk rock band Against Me!, Laura Jane Grace is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Georgia. After wearing her curls wild and long for almost a decade, Laura buzzed her hair in 2022 to make way for a tattoo by Gakkin Ink.

Because so much of Laura’s work is inspired by her experience as a trans woman, Against Me! is deeply important to many of their fans. Their songs often feel like war cries— many of them are just that, and Laura’s voice suits them perfectly. Her tone is pleasantly clear and resonant with a lovely raspy edge that comes out in her higher notes, and her voice carries emotion in such a uniquely raw way that it almost dares to be reminiscent of Janet Joplin. 

My Favorite Laura Jane Grace Song: “Stop!” This song off Against Me’s 2007 album Thrash Unreal has a really classic sound. Most of the words are a repeated chant, which invokes that good old mindless punk music feeling, but they aren’t mindless at all; in fact the chorus is more of a solid, grounding reminder– “Stop, take some time to think, figure out what’s important to you.” 

9. Yoo Jeong-yeon

Yoo Jeong-yeon is the talented lead vocalist of the popular Korean pop girl group Twice, and is known for keeping her hair short. She has a beautiful rich tone to her voice that fans say they find comforting.

After an injury in 2020, Jeongyeon was inactive on-and-off due to her suffering mental health. Sadly, her absence and the weight she gained because of her medication caused her popularity to decline. 

Something bright did come out of the darkness, however– Jeongyeon is still well loved by many fans and is seen as a great inspiration, especially due to her promotion of self love. She is very open and honest with her fans, displays an impressive amount of positivity and encourages others to be kind to themselves as she is with herself. 

My Favorite Yoo Jeongyeon Song: “Knock Knock.” This is one of Twice’s older songs; it is a simple little love song with a jaunty melody. The repetitive lyrics make it fun to sing along to, and it has some really great harmonies that allow the vocalists to show off a little.

10. Rebecca Black

Do you remember the viral flop song “Friday” that took the world by storm in 2011? Rebecca Black has been busy since her debut, doing a remarkable job at becoming unrecognizable from the awkward tween the world remembers. Nowadays Rebecca is all grown up and becoming somewhat of a queer fashion icon. She has released a variety of singles and two EPs. 

Music videos are where she seems to be focusing her energy, as she has created one for many of her singles. Rebecca is a talented art director; her videos are lovely and often intricate, always featuring a strong aesthetic theme. Some are full short films, while others consist mainly of striking visuals and great costuming.

My Favorite Rebecca Black Song: “Friday” (The Remix). In 2021, Rebecca released an official remix of her debut song. The new track is a collaboration with 3OH!3, Dorian Electra and Big Freedia, and brings an entirely new hyper-pop energy to the song. Believe it or not, this new “Friday” is a total bop. 

11. Karen O

Accomplished singer-songwriterKaren Lee Orzolek originally gained her popularity as the lead vocalist in the indie rock band The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but has also done a significant amount of solo work and become a well-known name on her own. In both her music and her style, Karen O has always been ostentatious and wild in a way that seems almost bewitching. 

She has a legendary stage presence and an impressive vocal range, often singing in a tonally unique and throaty mid range that makes her sharp high notes feel like a delightful surprise. Many have called her an icon, and it is easy to see why when you see her perform.

My Favorite Karen O Song: “Heads Will Roll.” This song off the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ 2009 album It’s Blitz is a sinfully catchy pop-rock bop with plenty of synths and guitar, and is meant to be from the perspective of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. Karen’s vocals are effortlessly fantastic and inspire an almost irresistible urge to follow the instructions in the chorus and “dance ‘til you’re dead.”

12. Lzzy Hale

Lead singer and guitarist of the hard rock band Halestorm, Elizabeth Mae “Lzzy” Hale pulls off a sleek, simple, all-black rockstar look like no other, and seems to have rocked almost every short hairstyle on the planet. 

Her powerful voice has graced six albums and ten EPs, and while much of Halestorm’s music has a great classic alt-metal sound there is no shortage of tracks featuring Lzzy belting out ballads over simpler instrumentals. Her range is stunning, and it is a delight to hear her no matter what genre she is singing.

My Favorite Lzzy Hale Song: “Raise Your Horns.” This song is one of Halestorm’s less hardcore, though the lyrics strongly hold to the aesthetic. The way Lzzy’s voice gets gritty with emotion as she projects hints at her hardcore background even when she sings classically, and that aspect of her tone really shines on this track.

13. Liza Minelli

Multi-award winning triple threat and legend Liza Minelli almost needs no introduction. The daughter of Judy Garland, named after a Gershwin song, it is as if she was truly destined for the stage. Liza is one of the most powerful alto voices of history and has been performing for over seventy years, selling out shows since 1963 and rocking her iconic pixie cut hairdo the entire time.

As she has aged, Liza has only become more special– her tone has become even more distinct, her range no less impressive, and her stage presence ever more powerful. 

My Favorite Liza Minelli Song: Her version of “Maybe This Time” from the 1972 original recording of Cabaret. This is considered by some to be one of Liza’s most iconic performances, and almost seems like it was written just for her (though it was originally written with Julie Andrews in mind, who later did perform it beautifully). 

The drama and simplicity of the piece call for a powerhouse; not just anyone can pull it off– but of course Liza did, so flawlessly that some say no one will ever do it better.

14. Willow

Actress and singer Willow Smith began her career by following in her parents’ footsteps and appearing in a few films, but it wasn’t until she started making music in her late teens that she seemed to really find her niche. Her 2015 debut album Ardipithecus, which she wrote and produced almost entirely by herself at the age of 15, wasn’t well received by critics. 

However, the single “Wait a Minute” took social media by storm and captured the hearts of millions, and her following albums have been met with increasingly positive reviews. Willow’s sound, which ranges from dreamy to aggressive, is always evocative and listeners seem to connect very strongly with her imaginative, often very personal lyrics. 

My Favorite Willow Song: “Marceline.” This song off Willow’s first album is based on the guitar playing teen vampire of the same name from the animated show Adventure Time, and conveys the relatable feeling of yearning for the experience of a fantasy world.

15. Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile is a multi-award winning folk-rock and alternative country artist, as well as a prolific activist and humanitarian. She has done considerable work with organizations such as War Child UK, spearheaded numerous humanitarian initiatives of her own, and is a notable LGBTQ+ advocate.

Her music is as much a part of her activism as her charity work, and is often packed with commentary on topics such as women’s rights and gun violence. Being a mother has also had a clear impact on Brandi’s work, and the earnest unconditional compassion she injects into everything she does makes her already touching music all the more compelling.

My Favorite Brandi Carlile Song: “The Highwomen.” This song was performed and published by a group of the same name, consisting of Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires. It is a beautiful rework of “The Highwaymen” by Jimmy Webb that tells the stories of four (fictional) women who represent the countless revolutionary women who really did change history. 

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