First Listen: Chastity Brown, 'Silhouette Of Sirens'

Pop music is an ideal vehicle for emotional catharsis — for the confessional plunge into anguish, the gathering of strength and the phoenix-like rise to empowered new heights. But while such songs can feel like potent, highly individualized expression, their impact can also be interpreted in vastly different ways. Robin James, author of , would describe performances that make dramatic displays of overcoming psychological, spiritual or bodily wounds as reinforcing a social hierarchy that