After shining the spotlight on her vibrant other-half, Donny Lloyd, the guitar-slinging master of Honey Revenge, while celebrating Black History Month, Devin Papadol, the hot-pink-headed pop-punk songstress and mic commander of the group, steps into the limelight. As we honor International Women’s Day today, amidst celebrating International Women’s Month, Papadol pauses her blossoming career to reflect on the remarkable women she’s encountered in the music industry.
From the undeniable influence of the All We Know Is Falling frontwoman Hayley Williams to chance encounters with industry trailblazers while in line for a concert as a teen, Papadol shares the profound impact that these women have had on her journey as an emerging artist and a woman—fighting for each and every day in a male-dominated industry. These artists and industry workers’ resilience, creativity, and unapologetic expression have fueled her own artistic fire, shaping her identity and propelling her toward success.
As Papadol invites us to take a peek behind the veil of her influences, we uncover the stories of five extraordinary women who have left an indelible mark on her heart since her early years as a preteen.
Hayley Williams
Let’s start off with the one we all know I’m going to mention: I discovered Paramore at 12 years old. I took one of those Facebook quizzes to find out which celebrity I was the most like. I got Hayley Williams and shared it to my profile not knowing who she was or anything about the band that would change my life.
My childhood babysitter commented and suggested I give Paramore a listen, and the rest is history! It felt like I had finally found what I wanted to sound like. Until then, I didn’t realize it was possible for a girl to be in a band. Everything from the music video to the lyricism to the instrumentals had me hooked. My love for Hayley and the band became all-consuming. Everything she embodied as a person and an artist became something I strived for. Neither of us are exactly tall people, but the way she can conquer a stage no matter the size and captivate an audience—I aspire to be half the performer she is.
My dream growing up was to be one of the lucky ones selected to sing on stage with Paramore for “Misery Business.” That dream came true in 2018! It was an event that changed the trajectory of everything for me. I was about to start going to music school that fall, and being given the opportunity to sing for a crowd of that size with the band that made me want to pursue music in the first place was affirming, to say the least.
I’ve also loved watching her become a successful entrepreneur. Good Dye Young has remained one of the constants in my hair routine. I love the branding, the formulas of the products, and the founder of the company.
Jenna McDougall
I found out about Tonight Alive while illegally downloading music from the YouTube MP3 converter when I was in high school. My freshman year, a close friend of mine had taken her own life, and it shattered me for a long time. I enjoyed a lot of Tonight Alive’s discography at the time, but I felt a deep connection to the song “Amelia” because it made me think of my friend. Jenna is such a powerhouse.
I can remember the first time I got the chance to experience one of their live shows I got chills from her performance. Her speeches in between songs were so much more than introducing what they were playing next. She made every word count and talked about an array of important topics. It was so important to witness someone using their platform to talk about important topics.
Halsey
She is one of the biggest pop stars now, but I remember discovering Halsey right before “New Americana” started getting radio play. She had just dropped her album BADLANDS, and I was in a phase where I only wanted to listen to heavy music. That changed after I found Halsey.
She is one of my all time favorite lyricists. She writes from such a vulnerable place, and I admire that so much.
It’s really cool to feel as though you’ve gotten to be a part of an artist’s journey. The music video for her song “Ghost” was filmed on my high school campus, and I remember crying and begging my mom to drop me off so I could have the chance to speak to her during the process.
Halsey is another example of a badass businesswoman. I am awaiting my first purchase of her makeup line, about-face Beauty. It’s so hard to find makeup that will pop from stage and last throughout the set, so to know that there is a brand that is not only cruelty-free, but created by an artist like her is something so unique, and I’m looking forward to trying out the products.
Lynn Gunn
Lynn Gunn has always been someone I’ve looked up to. It was really great as a young girl to be able to watch someone who was only 4 years older than me breakthrough in the scene in such a big way. I remember so distinctly when PVRIS dropped their White Noise album because it was so different from the music that was coming out at the time, and it combined so many musical elements I loved.
Through the years, their sound has stayed consistent while also branching out and trying new things. I also admire the fact that Lynn has started self-producing their music. I’d love to play a show with them or collaborate with Lynn one day, and I can’t wait to see what Lynn and the band continue to accomplish.
Rocky Rodrigues
I met Rocky Rodrigues in line at a concert in 2015 to see our favorite band at the time. We didn’t like each other at first because of silly fan rivalry, but we grew to be good friends. Rocky is a few years older than me, and my dad would only drop me off early to lineup for concerts if he knew she’d be there to look out for me. She was like my big sister in the scene.
Rocky was the first person to show me that a “fangirl” could grow up to work in the music industry professionally. She started selling merch for another band we knew, and from there, she got other jobs with other bands, and before I knew it, she was touring full-time.
During her first couple of tours, she was simultaneously finishing her college degree. She was taking finals and slinging shirts, and I just thought that was so badass. She never let her education be compromised because of her job or vice versa.
I’m lucky to have stayed friends with her all these years, and I’ve never forgotten the impact of her showing me that anything was possible.
