Looks Aren't Everything: Dublin's "Don't Call Me Pretty" Singer Aimée Shares Playlist of Artists She Admires

Irish pop artist Aimée is taking on 2020 with the strength of a thousand female warriors, and we are totally here for it.

Having seen tremendous success in 2019 with her sold-out debut headline show at The Grand Social and garnering hundreds of thousands of Spotify streams thanks to her single “Break Me,” Aimée is well on her way to making 2020 just as spectacular.

The fearless Dublin-based singer and songwriter recently released her new single “Don’t Call Me Pretty,” a fierce pop anthem that takes on the concept of female beauty and appearance-based first impressions, promoting the importance of self worth and encouraging listeners to dig beyond what’s on the outside when they meet others in order to get to the crux of what makes them who they really are.

“I think this song can be applied to anyone who has ever been judged on their appearance - and has had all their other abilities, complexities and personality left unconsidered because the focus has been entirely on how they look,” she says. “We live in a very ‘How you look matters’ world. I try everyday not to fit into that mould. I would rather take more time out of my day to do something I love instead of worrying about my hair or my outfit.”

Aimée sat down with Musical Notes Global and shared a playlist of songs from artists that empower her and inspire her to focus on more than just aesthetics. Check it out below.

Songwriter that inspires me
Julia Michaels: She inspires me so much as a songwriter. She has really opened up my eyes a more conversational side of songwriting. She inspires me to write more personal, instead of worrying too hard about sounding ‘ʼcoolʼʼ it’s more about it sounding real. One of my favourites that she has written would be ‘ʼAnxiety” or ‘ʼLose You To Love Meʼʼ that she wrote for Selena Gomez.

Song: “Anxiety”

Musician whose relationship with their audience inspires me
Taylor Swift: I love how much attention she gives to her fans online. Little replies or comments can mean the world to some people. I always try to answer every message I get because at the end of the day, these ‘ʼfansʼʼ are the reason you have a music career in the first place!

Song: “Soon Youʼll Get Better”

Lewis Capaldi: He is one of my absolute favourite people to follow online. I just love how he shows his true self and heʼs not worried about fitting any kind of moulds. Fans can relate to him so much because heʼs so normal! I also love seeing his funny side. Its crazy how his music is so sad and emotional but then we see such a different hilarious side to him online.

Song: “Bruises”

Musician whose use of dance inspires me:
Normani: I am obsessed with every single performance she does. Not only does she put on an incredible show with her voice, she takes it to the next level with how she combines her talent of dance and singing. As a singer and dancer myself it’s so inspiring seeing her kill it at both!

Song: “Motivation”

Musician whose vocals inspire me
Christina Aguilera: I have been Christina’s biggest fan since “Genie in a Bottleʼʼ came out. I was 4 years old. Hearing the power and emotion in her voice just blew my mind since I was a kid. I used to study every single note on my discman player, and I wouldnʼt go to bed until I learnt it. A lot of singers can sound great on track... not many can sound even better live. Christina can!

Song: “Genie In A Bottle”

Artist whose live show inspires me the most
Beyonce: I think we can all agree she is the ultimate queen when it comes to live performances. Her ‘ʼHomecomingʼʼ live performance at Coachella in 2018 absolutely blew me away. How she mixes herself with a live band , dancers and singers brings so much energy to the stage it is just incredible.

Song: “I Care - Homecoming Live”

Artist whose risk taking inspires me the most
LYRA: Lyra is known for her huge power voice. She records these massive songs that most would struggle to sing live. You would think when she performs live she would avoid the risky parts in the
song, but she takes the risk and sings every single note to perfection!

Song: “Mother”

Artist whose musicianship inspires me the most
Tash Sultana: She is an artist I have followed for years since she started making videos in her
bedroom. I use to be so fascinated with how she creates such incredible music by using a guitar and a loop pedal. A lot of her live shows are very much improvised. How she mixes playing all different kinds of live instruments, different pedals, synths and singing live is so inspiring.

Song: “Notion”