As we start Women’s History Month, I want to post some of my favorite songs about women by women. This playlist is diverse and transcends genres. While there are plenty of empowering songs, these are just some of my personal favorites. Throughout the article, I will be saying “women” and “females” but I also mean those who identify as female. Whether you were born female or identify as female, you are still a woman and this playlist- is for you!
- “God is a Woman” by Ariana Grande
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I like this song because it is about embracing femininity. Also, for me, it raises the idea about spirituality and why we portray God as male. Males wrote about God, so thus, God is male. However, is that truly the case? Women are the bringers of life and so is God. Wouldn’t it make sense for God to be a woman?
- “Bo$$” by Fifth Harmony
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For me, this song is powerful. First, it is sung by a group of diverse women, making it strong across the board. Secondly, it includes Michelle Obama, who is a powerful woman in our time. I also like how it uses words like “independent” and “respect,” which are words not always associated with girls in songs. Typically, females are called “pretty” and other bodily descriptive words.
- “The Greatest” by Sia
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The main word in this song that is repeated multiple times is “stamina.” This is not a word thought to be associated with women. Careers and jobs that require lots of physical and mental energy are typically dominated by males, such as high-intensity sports and STEM related fields. However, I see this song as being about how women have just as much energy as men.
- “Sit Still, Look Pretty” by Daya
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While the title seems to be an order, it is actually the opposite. The song is really about how a woman does not want to “Sit Still, Look Pretty”. A woman, as stated in the song, does not need a man to have value. She can be her own queen who rules her own world—and not just her own world, but the world as a whole.
- “I Dare You” by Bea Miller
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While I am in love with Miller’s “S.L.U.T.,” I have been a big fan of this song for a while. I love the power in the title as it dares a man to lock up a woman’s spirit, or to try and control women even though we will break through one way or another.
- “Confident” by Demi Lovato
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Just as the title mentions, women need to be confident, especially in this world that is still dominated by men. When women are confident, they are often considered “bossy.” However, as Lovato says, there is nothing “wrong with being confident.”
- “Most Girls” by Hailee Steinfeld
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This song talks about the diversity of women and how they live their lives, whether they like to party or hang out at home in sweats. Even though the title says “most,” which sounds like it is excluding some women, I don’t feel like that is what it is saying. I think it just means women who stay true to themselves.
- “Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara
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I like how this song attacks the concepts of beauty and what it means to be beautiful. The standards of beauty change based on culture and time, thus being transformative. It is not women who need to change their looks to be beautiful, it is the world that needs to change what it calls beauty.
- “Broken & Beautiful” by Kelly Clarkson (from UglyDolls)
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While this song is from the animated film UglyDolls, it still holds power for women. Again, like “Scars to Your Beautiful,” it attacks the ideas of beauty and ugliness. Imperfections don’t make you ugly. They make you real, which is beautiful!
- “Roar” by Katy Perry
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The power of the title alone places this song on this playlist. The idea of yelling in a fierce way is powerful in the context of women, who are often told by society to be silent. However, this song is meant to encourage women to voice their feelings and opinions. The lyrics have words like “tiger” and “fire,” which are typically associated with masculinity. To associate such elements with females displays power for women.
- “Can’t Hold Us Down” by Christina Aguilera and Lil’ Kim
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Continuing with the theme of not being silenced, this song is perfect. Throughout history, women have been pushed down and told to be quiet. This song turns the tables and says that we refuse to be held down anymore. We refuse to be subjected to double standards in a male-dominated society that needs to be balanced out with females.
- “Follow Your Arrow” by Kacey Musgraves
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I grew up with country music and this was a first in the genre for women. Basically, the song is about how a girl could do this or that and people would still find a problem with her, so she should just do what she wants. While there have been other country songs with similar themes, this song was a first for my ears by saying that girls can kiss other girls if that is something they are into.
- “The Future is Female” by Madame Gandhi
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The title caught my eye quickly with its promise. As a woman, it is hard sometimes to see a future where females are equal. However, it is not a dream that we wish for. It is a reality that is coming true each and every day that women push the boundaries of gender concepts.
- “Badass Woman” by Meghan Trainor (from The Hustle)
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As with many songs on this playlist, the title drew me in. Typically, “badass” women are known as bitches. However, just like the song “Confident” by Demi Lovato, there is nothing wrong with being a “badass.” The wrongness of it comes from the double standards the females face compared to males.
- “Queens Don’t” by RaeLynn
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Not all women are in high classes of power or wealth, but that doesn’t mean they are not powerful in their own ways. This song is about how all women can be “queens” in their own lives. To be a queen is simply to rule yourself, and not be dominated by men.
- “Halo” by Beyonce
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Beyonce herself is considered a strong woman in the music industry. While this song is about finding a man, it focuses more so on how the man treats her well. Something that most people believe about feminists is that they hate men. This is not the case. Feminist women hate men who treat them like objects; they love men who treat them with respect.
- “Girl Power” by Haschak Sisters
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A popular phrase that women use nowadays is “Girl Power.” Just like this song, it is about women who take charge of themselves. The whole “Girl Power” ideal is that women are just as in control of their lives as men. We can be powerful, strong, confident, and so much more than just pretty little objects.
- “Fight Like a Girl” by Kalie Shorr
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I like this song because it takes a negative idea and turns it into a positive. When most people say “fight like a girl,” they mean it as a bad thing, because women are supposed to be weaker than men. However, fighting like a girl is not negative. Girls are just as strong, if not stronger, than men at times.
- “Road Less Traveled” by Lauren Alaina
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This is one of my favorite country songs. It reminds me of “Scars to Your Beautiful” with mentions of not following the social concepts of beauty. Instead, it talks about how women should be themselves, because that is how we need to live. We need to be rebels and not follow society’s standards for women, or we will not make history.
- “Girl” by Maren Morris
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This is another country song that is just so empowering for women. At first, I thought this song was against women because it uses the phrase “baby girl,” which places a woman as a child. However, listening to it more, I realized that it is not meant to degrade women. It is almost used as a nickname. It doesn’t take away from the song, which is about not comparing oneself to another woman. Be confident with who you are.