The rise of the #MeToo Movement in the latter part of the 2010s led to a greater emphasis on equality in the music industry and it's been an opportunity many talented young female artists have taken wholeheartedly.

On the international scene 17-year-old Los Angeles artist Billie Eilish released her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go in March and became one of the biggest pop acts on the planet and Lizzo broke out as pop's new sassiest diva.

While in Australia, an ex-busker named Toni Watson released a single Dance Monkey, under the moniker Tones and I. The electro-pop track has since topped the charts in more than 20 countries, including the UK and Canada. It also clocked up 21 weeks at No.1 in Australia to be the longest-reigning chart-topper in ARIA history.

Outside of the charts Australian female singer-songwriters Stella Donnelly, Julia Jacklin and Thelma Plum delivered quality quasi-political records, and after 13 years we got another Tool album when the US prog-metal legends dropped Fear Inoculum in August.

Beware Of The Dogs (Stella Donnelly): The Fremantle 27-year-old has promised something special for a while after introducing her poignant lyricism with the heart-breaking folk ballad Boys Will Be Boys on her 2017 EP Thrush Metal.

Debut album Beware Of The Dogs was when Donnelly's promise came home to roost with interest.

The contrasts made the record so special.

It was sweetly delivered indie-folk, but with a stinging and bitter meaning as Donnelly's poetic lyrics raged against sleazy blokes (Old Man), dodgy employers (U Owe Me) and politicians (Beware Of The Dogs), to name a few.

Overall Donnelly's Beware Of The Dogs was a brilliant and insightful commentary on Australia's rapidly-changing society.

READ MORE: Stella Donnelly cutting through the muck with success

Notable mentions: Crushing (Julia Jacklin), Cuz I Love You (Lizzo), Amyl & The Sniffers (Amyl & The Sniffers), Remind Me Tomorrow (Sharon Van Etten).

Bad Guy (Billie Eilish): Minimalist trap-pop never sounded so enchanting when Eilish delivered this unconventional hit described as "nu-goth pop".

The sexualised lyrics - including the line "might seduce your dad type" - were controversial coming from a 17-year-old, but Eilish's nonchalant delivery only made them more powerful as they upturned the power dynamics of sexual politics.

The track employed plenty of hooks like the classic "duh", but when Bad Guy drops from 132 beats per minute to a languid 60, it's pure magic.

Notable mentions: Juice (Lizzo), Vossi Bop (Stormzy), All Mirrors (Angel Olsen), I Don't Know How To Keep Loving You (Julia Jacklin).

Brightness (Brightness): Newcastle multi-instrumentalist Alex Knight, aka Brightness, took the melancholic and dreamy indie of his debut album Teething to another level on his self-titled second album. The production was slicker and the songs hit with greater impact, especially Dallas and Old Crow.

Lyrically, Knight explored the mythologies of Christianity, but the strongest moment came on Feathers when he turned his attention to childhood observations of his mother struggling after her marriage breakdown.

Critics loved the record. Double J listed in their top-50 albums of 2019 and it was nominated for the Australian Music Prize.

Notable mentions: III (The Gooch Palms), Mood Bullet (Lachlan X. Morris), Strange Dreams (Nicholas Connors), Second Skin (Split Feed).

I'm Your Man (Ahlia Williams): This was like a left hook you never saw coming. Nords Wharf 21-year-old Ahlia Williams announced herself with this hypnotic and theatrical slice of garage punk delivered in the vein of Patti Smith and PJ Harvey.

In the space of three minutes, Williams morphed from timid temptress to roaring provocateur, and it was thrilling.

Notable mentions: Be Here (Tori Forsyth), Stabs (Raave Tapes), Dallas (Brightness), Shadow Lover (Lachlan X. Morris).

Ahlia Williams: Williams has only released two singles - I'm Your Man and Sally - but they were delivered with such impact they were impossible to ignore. Anybody who witnessed Williams' Dashville Skyline set knows there's plenty of other gems in the bank. A promising 2020 awaits.

Notable mentions: India & The Journey To The East, The Fighting Fish, The Hamilton Alpine Club, Glovers Lane.

KISS cancels Supercars gig: Thousands of KISS fans were left heart-broken when Paul Stanley's illness caused the cancellation of the glam-rock legends' November 23 gig at Newcastle No.1 Sportsground.

Another low light was Screaming Jets frontman Dave Gleeson's social media attack on Tones and I, which included a tasteless joke about her weight and after her success at the ARIA Awards.

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