Annie Lennox, has compared Miley Cyrus the most salacious modern pop stars to being “pimp and prostitute at the same time”, calling their behaviour “a glorified and monetised form of self-harm." In a written response to O’Connor’s letter, flamboyant singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer has defended Cyrus’s right to be “a raging, naked, twerking sexpot”. Palmer argues that “being a female musician/rock star/whatever is a mind-bendingly frustrating job. Our male counterparts are given a way wider playing field than we are. We’re either scolded for looking sexy or we’re scolded for not playing the game.”
Here's a part of the article appeared on The Telegraph. To read all click here
LADY GAGA
“The context of taking off your clothes for porn is different from undressing for a particular song with particular lighting for particular effect in a particular moment. In the beginning, my record company wanted to tone me down. The Just Dance video is not nearly as naked as I would have liked. I said this in a meeting, ‘is this the only major label on planet earth that is asking a female pop artist to put more clothes on?’ But I grew a keener eye for it. Because let’s be honest, when they met me I was onstage in a thong, with a fringe hanging over my ass thinking that had covered it, lighting hairspray on fire, singing songs about oral sex. I think I have the right balance now.”
ALICIA KEYS
“As a young girl coming into [pop music], there is huge pressure. You don’t know how to navigate it because everyone’s going ‘oh that’s beautiful, that’s nice, why don’t you unbutton the shirt a little lower, pull the skirt a little higher.’ I trusted people and then I would see things back and feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. That kind of set me on my path to be stronger about not letting people tell you anything.
“There is a certain sexuality or sensuality to [my] performance but I’ve been fortunate not to have to depend on my physical attributes. All I can do is make sure that what I choose to be a part of has a certain standard to it, and if I am uncomfortable with it, I would choose not to be part of it. We have a lot of power and we should consider how we use that power.”
Suzi Quatro criticises today’s women in music: "It’s no secret that pop stars like to bare their bodies, whether it’s on stage, on the red carpet, or in a music video. Big pop names like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Gotye left little to the imagination in their video hits, and we’ve also seen nudity (and controversy) pop up in videos from rock acts like the Flaming Lips and Sigur Ros. Check out our list of 20 not so sweet videos that aren’t afraid to show some skin"
LAURA MARLING 
“I think that women and men in the modern pop industry are given very similar choices, jumping through the sex hoop, jumping through the reality-TV-gossip-magazine-giving-your-life-away hoop, and everybody makes choices relevant to their wants in life. That’s women’s lib, in a sense, because there is choice. It’s subjective whether one choice is right or wrong. I’ve never felt any pressure to be anything other than what I am, and I think that’s absolutely the way I should be. Certainly my career would have been different if I had decided to get a tit job or do a photo session for GQ. Sometimes the radio is on and I think, ‘oh, I exist in this industry’. I don’t know if I want to. Sometimes I do feel like I don’t exist in the same world, let alone the same industry.”
LULU
“A lot of [the new generation of female singers] are unbelievably good. I’m gobsmacked sometimes. Women are taking over. But I don’t personally like that they have to get naked. I’m completely crazy about that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams track, Blurred Lines, but the video, the naked one, I want to spit nails at. Why didn’t Robin Thicke get his kit off? It’s always women. I really get angry.”
ELLIE GOULDING
“I’m aware that I’m not a model and photo shoots can be difficult but I’m very proud of my body, because I don’t starve myself, I work out and I keep fit. And if my body looks good it’s because I worked bloody hard for it. I’m a woman and I want to show off a bit.”
SUZI QUATRO
“The music industry is so sexualised now. The difference is that the females are choosing it themselves, so you can’t say they are being used by the industry. Nobody told Madonna what to do, nobody tells Lady Gaga, so you can’t say it’s the men sexualising them anymore. There are so many semi-naked women in videos. You think naked is next? I don’t know. I am hoping it’s gone to a point where the only way is to go back again.”
There is still an imbalance in mainstream culture. Where is the alternative voice? I want to hear from the creature who isn’t blessed with unbelievable good looks and incredible genes. I want to hear from the geek girl, the forgotten girl, the invisible girl and the miserable girl. I don’t want to just hear from the perfect cheerleaders.”
RUMER
“I think women in music should connect and support each other because there’s a lot of us, and it’s a very male dominated industry, and actually there’s still a lot of sexism. It’s not a regulated business, there’s no independent advocacy, you are getting advice from people but they are all being paid or have interests or agendas. I never felt like the prettiest person in the room. But I think we all have issues with that. It’s the same old thing. I don’t mind being listened to, but I don’t want anybody looking at me and judging me on my appearance.”
DIDO
“If people are proud of the way they look and want to get their kit off, more power to them. I’ve never ever felt that pressure. To me, the two don’t go hand in hand. I make music, I don’t know if I would sell more music if I got my kit off.”
