‘Delia’s Gone, But I’m Settling the Score’

Gender, Vocal Aesthetics, and the Murder Ballad

Abstract

This article explores the intersection of vocal aesthetics, gender, and performance in the tradition of murder ballads, a genre rooted in historical narratives of femicide and gendered violence. Once serving as a blend of journalism, entertainment, and (moralizing) cautionary tales, these ballads evolved from impersonal storytelling to largely centering the interiority of male perpetrators, further reinforcing implicit misogyny and stereotypical portrayals of women, yet have also been continuously appropriated by female performers for their own, varied purposes. Following a personal reflection on this author’s relationship to an admittedly problematic genre, the issue of vocal aesthetics and performance are centered. Thereafter the genre’s more recent developments vis-à-vis gender and performance are traced, noting trends within the 20th century. Finally, 21st century reinterpretations by female artists who use the ballad both to reclaim power, adopting male-coded violence, and/or as a form of protest, are examined more closely. By foregrounding marginalized voices and addressing intersections of race, class, and gender, contemporary murder ballads may sometimes transcend their origins, becoming vehicles for social critique and resistance.