Herstory: A Musical Love Letter to My Daughter, by Flor Bromley
Not long ago, my 10-year-old daughter came home with something curious in her backpack: a printed Sephora logo. When I asked her about it, she said she and her friends were “pretending to be beauty influencers.” It turns out that lately, many of the girls in her class have been talking about Sephora: about skincare routines, makeup, and shopping trips they hope to take.
Now, I have nothing against makeup (I’m a performer, after all and I love a red lipstick and sparkly eyeshadow as much as the next mom). But it hit me hard: This is what the world is telling our girls to be. That beauty, branding, and blush are the pinnacles of success.
To me, the term “Sephora girl” isn’t about makeup, it’s about expectations. It’s about a world that still tells our girls their value lies in how they look, not what they think, create, or do. I was worried that her attention, and the energy of so many girls her age, was being pulled toward beauty on the outside, rather than strength and purpose on the inside. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that there are so many more stories they need to hear. Because when a girl’s dreams are limited to curated social media trends and beauty store hauls, we have to stop and ask: What stories are we not telling our girls?
So I did what I always do when something stirs in my heart: I wrote a song. And then another. And another. And soon, “Herstory” was born, an album for families that celebrates real, powerful women from around the world.
“Herstory” it’s both a musical celebration and a heartfelt offering. It’s filled with original songs about REAL, trailblazing women from across the globe. Women who defied the systems that tried to shrink them. Women who made space for themselves and others. Women who showed the world who they truly were, no filter required.
To choose the women featured, I gave myself a challenge: to highlight one (or more) woman from each continent. I spent hours (months?) researching stories of resilience: reading, listening, and diving deep into the lives of trailblazers whose journeys resonated with me on a personal level. I wasn’t just looking for famous names; I was looking for women who had overcome barriers, spoken out, and stayed true to themselves in the face of adversity. But mostly, I was looking for stories that I connected with in some way.
These women inspired me to write “their” songs, not just about what they did, but about who they are, and what they made possible for all of us. So without further ado, these are the women from “Herstory”.
From South America: Isabel Allende, whose powerful storytelling gave voice to Latin American women and histories often left out of the spotlight.
From North America: Emily Calandrelli, the “Space Gal,” who turned science communication into an art form and continues to empower young girls to dream beyond the stars.
From Asia: Sahithi Pingali, a teenage environmentalist from India, who didn’t wait for adults to fix things, she led her own research, created impact, and inspired change.
From Oceania: Louisa Wall, an athlete and groundbreaking politician from New Zealand, who championed equality and Indigenous rights.
From Africa: Fatuma Roba, who became the first African woman ever to win the Olympic marathon, proving that perseverance and power often come from places the world overlooks.
From Europe: Greta Thunberg, a quiet girl with a loud message, who turned climate grief into global action, reminding us that age doesn’t limit impact.
From Antarctica, explorers Clare Ballantyne, Mairi Hilton, Natalie Corbett, and Lucy Bruzzone, whose groundbreaking research and expeditions have expanded our understanding of one of the most remote and fragile places on Earth. Their work is a testament to courage, curiosity, and the power of women pushing the boundaries of science and exploration.
As a bonus (representing a different part of the world) I chose a story from one of my idols: Gloria Estefan, who was told her music wouldn’t work in English, then went on to break barriers and become one of the most influential crossover artists in history.
What all these women have in common isn’t fame or perfection. It’s courage. It’s conviction. It’s resilience. It’s an inner compass that pointed them forward, even when the world pushed back.
These stories aren’t just for my daughter. They’re for all our daughters (and sons) growing up in a noisy, appearance obsessed culture. I want them to know that ambition is beautiful. That kindness is powerful. That the best thing you can be is yourself: fully, boldly, and unapologetically.
“Herstory” is my way of planting those seeds. Of filling family playlists with songs that sound good and at the same time expand what our kids believe is possible for them. These are real-life examples of women who refused to shrink to fit someone else’s idea of “enough.”
We need more of that. Because our children are watching, listening, and forming identities in a world that still undervalues their minds and their magic. We need to flood their imaginations with stories of resistance, resilience, and reinvention.
So yes, let them play. Let them explore. But let’s also give them tools to build, voices to follow, and dreams that go deeper than the surface. Because the future isn’t found in a shopping bag, it’s written in the stories we tell, the values we live, and the role models we lift up.
Let’s make sure our girls know: they can do more than look the part. They can change the world. Let’s make HERstory together. ?
Flor Bromley is a mother and musician, and 2023 Latin GRAMMY® nominee, who lives in New York.
