Now that February is over, it’s time to face what’s coming up in March: for many, that means midterms and Spring Break. Psyching up for your Spring Break while simultaneously preparing for exams requires a herculean effort, which means you’re going to need a great playlist to get through the next month. Here are a few songs to get you started. The theme is female empowerment – something that can hype you up for spring but also help you buckle down and start studying.
Heavy Crown – Iggy Azalea and Ellie Goulding
You might recognize this one from the trailer for Kingsman: The Secret Service (a really fun movie, by the way!). It’s the perfect song to listen to as you go into that Monday morning exam.
Best Lyric: To everyone who said I’d never make it/Oh Lord, weren’t you mistaken/I’ve got a dinner date with greatness
Q.U.E.E.N. – Janelle Monáe ft. Erykah Badu
I’ve recently discovered just how awesome Janelle Monáe is, and this song epitomizes everything she can do. Remembering how important it is to love yourself is especially crucial while we’re still in the depths of winter.
Best lyric: I heard this life is just a play with no rehearsal/I wonder will this be my final act tonight?
Free Me – Joss Stone
This song has the double benefit of being empowering and summery – it’ll make you feel great while also reminding you that it’s not much longer before you can wear short sleeves again.
Best lyric: And if there’s one thing I will say to you/It’s that there’s nothing that you can’t do/’Cause it’s all about your attitude/Don’t let them get to you
I Choose – India Arie
This is a great song for when you feel like you’ve lost all power in your life, or have made a bad choice that you’re ready to make right. Check out “Video” for another great empowerment song by India Arie.
Best lyric: And I choose to be the best that I can be/I choose to be authentic in everything/I do, my past don’t dictate who I am/I choose
***Flawless – Beyonce ft. Chimamanda Ngoz
I hadn’t listened to Beyoncé’s title album until a few weeks ago – I know, I’m behind the times – so all of the songs still feel new to me. Even if you’ve listened to this a million times, it’s guaranteed to make you feel incredibly cool (although not quite as cool as the Queen B herself).
Best lyric: I took some time to live my life/But don’t think I’m just his little wife
Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
This one’s a classic, and one of my personal favorites. It’ll remind you that spring is coming but also that it might be time to figure out what you’re going to say in that essay that’s so far gone “unwritten.”
Best lyric: We’ve been conditioned to not make mistakes/But I can’t live that way
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson
This song’s for those moments when you feel like you just can’t push through. Just think, that long weekend in Florida is only a few weeks away!
Best lyric: Thanks to you I’m finally thinking ‘bout me/You know in the end the day you left was just my beginning
Dog Days are Over – Florence and the Machine
Another one of my favorite songs of all time, this is a great tune to perk you up during a late night study session. An extra positive thought: Florence and the Machine will be releasing a new album later this year!
Best lyric: Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father/Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers/Leave all your love and your longing behind/You can’t carry it with you if you want to survive
Sheezus – Lily Allen
As you might have noticed already, the desire to be queen has been a theme in this playlist. Lily Allen, always a great source for slightly edgy female empowerment, takes this message a step further by illustrating the struggle to stay at the top as a female musician.
Best lyric: I’m ready for all the comparisons/I think it’s dumb and it’s embarrassing/I’m switching off, no longer listening/I’ve had enough of persecution and conditioning
I Believe (Get Over Yourself) – Nico Vega
The perfect background track for HBO’s Girls: Season 4 trailer, this song is also a great pick for March. It’ll make you realize that you can do anything even if you’re feeling dysfunctional – just what you need to get through that final midterm.
Best lyric: You believe that things are better when left unsaid/But you’re a fool ‘cause you don’t believe that anything good can happen to the people it should/Well I believe in you/So get over yourself