Democracy Dies in Darkness

St. Vincent is a musical master. Just ask Taylor Swift or Olivia Rodrigo.

The guitarist, who co-wrote hits for the pop stars, will perform her own songs at the Anthem on Friday.

2 min
St. Vincent. (Alex Da Corte)
By

If you think you haven’t heard a St. Vincent song, you’re probably wrong.

In a testament to the 41-year-old three-time Grammy Award winner’s versatility, Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Obsessed” were both co-written by her. Rodrigo has even performed the emotionally explosive hit with a Music Man St. Vincent Goldie signature model guitar.

That last fact makes the musician — ranked the 26th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone — particularly joyful. “It makes me so happy to see so many women playing guitars,” she explained.

Skip to end of carousel
Style is where The Washington Post explains what’s happening on the front lines of culture — including the arts, media, social trends, politics and yes, fashion — with wit, personality and deep reporting. For more Style stories, click here. To subscribe to the Style Memo newsletter, click here.
End of carousel

St. Vincent, whose given name is Anne Clark, has performed her prophetic sound through the fads and trends of the early 21st century. From her first EP in 2003 to her latest album, her guitar mastery and her metaphorical interpretation of the intangible human experience have amounted to a wealth of bold, unique projects.

The mezzo-soprano’s latest album, “All Born Screaming,” released in April, features an excruciating depiction of the agony of romance in the song “Broken Man.” She sings: “Lover, nail yourself right to me/ (Like you’ve never seen a broken man) if you go, I won’t be well/ (Who the hell do you think I am?) I can hold my arms wide open/ (Like you’ve never seen a broken man) but I need you to drive the nail.”

“I’m kind of painting a picture of desperation. And actually, it takes two, right? Like, love actually does take two,” she said in a phone interview from her Los Angeles studio.

That tormented intimacy is in contrast to the triumphant communion St. Vincent is feeling with other female musicians these days — those she’s worked with and those she simply admires.

“There’s so many women feeling completely empowered to be completely in charge of their own musical destiny and play any instrument they want without side-eye or snark or anything like that. I’ve personally witnessed that shift, and that’s so thrilling to see,” she says.

The singer-songwriter points to Charli XCX and Billie Eilish as examples of rock-star women singing their unvarnished truths. Their collective work has convinced St. Vincent that the days of female musician censorship are over.

“I think we have slain that dragon,” she says.

Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. at the Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. theanthemdc.com. $55-$95.