In last week’s article “Can I Have My Cake and Eat it Too?” I briefly mentioned that I had just begun one of Kayla Itsines’ widely praised workout regimes. So far, it’s been going fairly well, but if you’re like me, it can be difficult stay motivated and to keep the energy high throughout the workout. Now there are a variety of ways to stay engaged, such as imagining yourself training for some top-secret spy organization (is that just me??) or maybe thinking about how the workout is melting away the calories. However, I find it especially helpful to have a killer playlist that keeps me going with fast beats and confidence-boosting lyrics. So here are my top five ‘girl-power’ song recommendations – these can be used for a workout or just to keep confident and motivated during the day! #revisionseason
1. Flawless Remix, Beyoncé & Nicki Minaj
This is classic, a masterpiece with Queen Bey and assistance from the Queen of Rap, Miss Minaj. You could always go with the original version of the song, which features an excerpt of a TedTalk on Feminism by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Both are equally powerful and uplifting, but for a workout, I’d probably stick with the remix.
2. Salute, Little Mix
I absolutely adore this group – their songs are so poppy and yet so motivational. And best of all, most of them have some sort of ‘girl power’ message behind them :) This song makes me want to lace up my combat boots and kick ass.
3. Run the World (Girls), Beyoncé
Another timeless song from the Queen herself, this anthem is all I need to feel like we could slay the world with our collective awesomeness. And I might just raise a glass to the college grads while I’m feeling so damn good about life.
4. Hard Out Here, Lily Allen
Allen pokes fun at all the ridiculous expectations that our society expects from women – be skinny, be pretty, be willing to bend over backwards to conform.. But the song never takes a preachy tone – instead it stays quite upbeat and catchy, the perfect tune for feeling like a powerful queen who can stick it to all of her haters at the same time.
5. Bad Girls, M.I.A.
This last song on the list is a special one to me because, without fail, it always makes me feel like a badass. While my chain does not particularly hit my chest when I’m banging on the dashboard, I love the infectious beat and the simple yet somehow motivational lyrics. This song is definitely a favorite.
Making the selections for this list was actually very difficult – we live in an era where there is no shortage of amazing ‘girl power’ anthems if one only knows where and to whom to look. That being said, this list is merely one of my personal favorites – if you haven’t heard of one or more of these songs before, I hope you enjoy them! Now, get slayin’, ladies – remember, we run the world.