Helen Reddy and Her '70s Feminist Anthem Roar in Trailer for I Am Woman

Inspired by discrimination in the music industry and feminist uprisings, Reddy penned the song that became a cultural phenomenon and chart-topper.

Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP of Editorial and Special Projects at equalpride. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.

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Tracy E. Gilchrist

August 05 2020 12:16 PM EST

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Dubbed by men in the music industry as "too angry" and "man-hating," Helen Reddy's 1971 feminist anthem "I Am Woman" rose to the top of the Billboard chart and became the sound of a movement. The story behind the song and the woman who wrote and performed ir is explored in the new biopic I Am Woman, starring Tilda Cobham-Hervey (Hotel Mumbai) in the titular role.

A struggling artist, Reddy left her native Australia for the heartbeat of the music industry in the United States and was unsurprisingly met with sexism. Her musical response to male executives controlling the narrative about women artist's place in the industry dovetailed with the rise of the women's right's movement. The song became a number 1 hit and a cultural phenomenon -- and it made Reddy a star. She won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female in 1972.

Reddy went on to record other hits, including "Angie Baby" and "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady," but nothing matched the influence of "I Am Woman" influence as part of the zeitgeist of the era.

The film, from director Unjoo Moon, costars Danielle Macdonald (Dumplin', Patti Cake$) and Evan Peters (American Horror Story).