Here is a list of ten female empowerment songs, in no particular order, meant to bring you courage, confidence, and strength. Listen to them to boost your day or brighten another’s by downloading, sharing, and blasting them all throughout Siena’s campus. Summer weather is approaching and that means windows down and loud music, so make women feel proud to be themselves by playing these songs in your cars and dorms. The Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women will certainly be honored!
“Shake It Out” by Florence and the Machine
Released on the album Ceremonials in 2011, “Shake It Out” is an inspiration to women all over the world due to its focus on overcoming domestic abuse. It is also meaningful because it emphasizes forgiving our regrets and conquering the things that haunt us. It is considered gothic pop and rock with a touch of gospel, but I’d categorize it as alternative. If you hear this song being blasted somewhere on Siena’s campus, it’s probably me.
“You Don’t Own Me” by Grace ft. G-Eazy
This song is a remix for the original classic song “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore. It can be found in the album FMA which was released recently in 2016. This is an empowering song due to its spotlight on women’s rights and independence. As the title reflects, it is about women not being tied down by male expectations and dominance. Classified as contemporary R&B and pop, this song gives a modern twist to classic tunes using rap performed by G-Eazy.
“Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson
A song about recovering from a heartbreak, “Stronger” does more than that. It motivates women to persevere through obstacles in life that try to bring them down. It premiered as a single in 2011, reaching out to the hearts of women all over. This song is a summer classic, best listened to in large groups of girl friends who are there for each other no matter what. It’s a popular song that falls under the pop genre, being easily found all over the web.
“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten
“Fight Song” is a single by Rachel Platten that was released in 2015. Once released, it quickly spread across the globe as a song that brought women together in times of struggle. Having topped many charts, this song was inspired by fear of not achieving success in what we love. Another pop song, this song should seriously be featured in any Siena club or organization that promotes career success, whether it be work studies, academic clubs, volunteer organizations, or more, like Her Campus!
“Run the World” by Beyonce
Beyonce is the epitome of female empowerment, and she deserves more than just one song on this list, but I decided to spread the love. This particular song was released in 2011 in the album 4. A contemporary R&B song, “Run the World” is about women taking control over themselves and equalizing themselves against the image given to them by opposition of female rights. This song received awards on top of awards from music video and concert performances to its tense rhythm and deep meaning.
“Man! I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain
An oldie from 1997, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” is a contemporary country hit by Shania Twain that truly makes me proud of being a female in today’s world. Its lyrics give women power and strength that are meant to make them comfortable with themselves, from their body image to having fun that goes against societal norms and expectations. It can be found in the album Come On Over and is considered to be a provocative song that embodies a women’s natural being.
“Confident” by Demi Lovato
As Demi Lovato says in the renowned song, “What’s wrong with being confident?” “Confident” is a song that embraces female empowerment by inspiring women to love themselves for who they are. It challenges women to stop being fake and to let their natural selves surface no matter how “weird” or “freaky” they may seem. It was released in 2015 and is in the album Confident, named after itself. This song is considered under the pop genre but certainly has some rock aspects.
“F*@!in’ Perfect” by P!nk
I absolutely adore this song by the one and only badass P!nk. “F*@!in’ Perfect” is a party song that causes women to rage with female inspiration. The song was originally released in 2010 and was incorporated into no album that I can find because it killed it as a single. It captures the idea that we’re perfect no matter what anyone tells us and no matter how we hold up to society’s ideals of how we should be. This song is categorized as dance/electronic and pop.
“This One’s for the Girls” by Martina McBride
Here’s another song for those of us who enjoy contemporary country music. Released in 2003, “This One’s for the Girls” is a song by Martina McBride debuting in her album Martina. It incorporates her daughter and other famous female country singers like Faith Hill as backup singers to bring a strong female voice to the music industry. This song salutes different-aged women who are going through life struggles due to school or careers and tells them “you’re beautiful the way you are.” Siena should bring this one back by playing it in Casey’s.
“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper
Okay, so this one I saved for last on purpose. This is the mother of almost all women empowering songs, the inspiration behind so many female jams that we know and love. Yes, it’s older than most of us, being that it was released in 1983, but that literally doesn’t even matter. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” is on the album She’s So Unusual and brings a voice to the female community, expressing our want and need to break from our shells and, well, have fun! This song is classified as pop and although it’s old, it didn’t really die. If it were a movie, it’d be a cult classic.