Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay.
Take a stand and listen to these jams.
With the recent actions of Roe v. Wade being overturned it’s the start to the limitation of women’s rights. It sparked multiple protests nationwide and has granted the community the opportunity to use their voices. Along with the people, some musicians have used their positions in the industry to raise awareness of negative norms in society concerning women and their freedoms. Here are ten songs that radiate women’s empowerment.
Run the World (Girls) by Beyoncé (2011)
Queen Bey delivers on this track, sending her shot straight forward, right on target. As she sings on the chorus, “Who run the world? Girls!”, she promotes women on the forms of success any and all can achieve. She praises the graduates, the independents, the hard workers, along with herself. And this song has a jamming beat that makes people wanna get up and dance. The overall idea behind this song is to respect women and to not belittle them on what they can do in society. True representation.
Keep Ya Head Up by 2Pac (1993)
This Tupac song is a jam. Throughout the song, he’s talking about the imbalance of society, referencing women’s rights, deadbeat fathers, and poverty, all while letting the people know, “Things are gonna get easier.” He specifically confronts women’s rights and how females are mistreated by men, considering the fact that men don’t have control over women. He speaks, “And since we all came from a woman, Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman, I wonder why we take from our women…do we hate our women?…since a man can’t make one, He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one”. With this laidback beat featuring this classic sample, Tupac preaches a powerful message that covers a lot of ground on the unfair struggles of living.
Respect by Aretha Franklin (1967)
On the soulful side, Aretha Franklin is demanding her respect. She speaks her mind claiming that she knows how to take care of herself, putting her foot down and letting men know women work just as hard as them, if not more. This song can be heard in multiple settings and brings inspiration to the ladies to stand up for oneself when belittled. The unforgettable lines, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find out what it means to me” continues to carry through generations to continue spreading the message to sock it to the man.
Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston (1985)
This ballad promotes self-love. Whitney Houston talks about living for and finding love within herself, as this theme is important to a great feeling in life. The rhythm is smooth and slow, and her empowering vocals soothe the ear as she sings, “No matter what they take from me, They can’t take away my dignity, Because the greatest love of all is happening to me…Learning to love yourself is the greatest love all”. She sends a positive message that can be taken in from any group.
Like a Girl by Lizzo (2019)
Lizzo came through with women empowerment jams like Truth Hurts and Good as Hell, just to name a couple, but Like a Girl hits differently. This song is portrayed like an anthem where someone would want to scream the lyrics along while it plays. But the song speaks to tell women to embrace every bit of woman inside themselves, and they are capable of doing anything. The song does a play on phrases like “you throw like a girl,” “you fight like a girl,” and the list goes on. Lizzo even references other powerful female figures like Chaka Khan, Lauryn Hill, and Serena Williams. As she states, to all the women, “Do your thing, run the whole damn world”.
The Man by Taylor Swift (2019)
Taylor confronts male dominance by coming from the perspective of a female who wishes to be honored like a man. She continues to reach the verdict that women are just as strong as men, but for some reason, they’re treated to lower standards. For instance, when she sings “They’d say I hustled, Put in the work, They wouldn’t shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve, What I was wearing, If I was rude, Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves?”, she’s calling out the idea of men and women not being looked at equally. With the success a woman can achieve, she’s drawing the idea of how much more triumphant it would be if the genders were opposite. Taylor Swift honestly brings up a valid point on equality along with preaching to this bubbly dance beat.
Independent Women, Pt. 1 by Destiny’s Child (2001)
Destiny’s Child calls for all independent women, “the honeys making money”, and “the mommas who profit dollars” to represent themselves and those who work for their own living. The message behind this is that women don’t have to rely on men to take care of them, nor should they allow them to control them. They sing, “The shoes on my feet, I bought it, The clothes I’m wearing, I bought it, The rock I’m rockin’, I bought it, Cause I depend on me if I want it.” It’s not easy to be independent, so it deserves praise. Whether it’s in the club, in the house, or in the car, this jam has good substance on women empowerment.
Just Fine by Mary J. Blige (2007)
This song makes people want to move. Mary J. Blige has the perfect song to get up and feel motivated to. The song talks about feeling good and living to the fullest. It has this vibration that uplifts those who are looking to groove the same way. She continues, telling people to cherish life and enjoy the moments that are provided, and most importantly, ditch the negative vibes and keep them out of the circle. Overall, this song is a straight bop and has a contagious rhythm. Keep the spirits high, and everything will be just fine.
Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauryn Hill (1998)
Ms. Lauryn Hill knows how to send a message and keep the crowd jumping. As she shows her versatility between singing and rapping, she’s spreading awareness of the toxic guys out in the world who look for sex. Along with that, she calls out the men for treating women badly. She sings to both groups “Girls, you know you’d better watch out, Some guys, some guys are only about, That thing, that thing, that thing”. The theme of staying aware and shining bright like a gem directs this positive and upbeat energy to anyone listening.
U.N.I.T.Y by Queen Latifah (1993)
“You gotta let him know”. This rap song confronts many topics surrounding what women go through in society, such as harassment and assault. As Queen Latifah delivers an impeccable flow, she’s preaching to stand tall and not to succumb to any form of degradation. Queen references moments of being touched in public as well as diving into a story about abuse. This is one of those songs where people want to bob their heads to the rhythm and listen to the artist speak, bar for bar. And with a message like this, she truly gets her point across.
Honorable mentions:
Rose in Harlem by Teyana Taylor
Man! I Feel Like A Woman! by Shania Twain
Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
God is a woman by Ariana Grande
Many other songs radiate female energy, but these bops and ballads preach strong messages that discuss ideas of bettering oneself, respecting the ladies and their knowledge, along with keeping a positive mindset on what the world has to offer. In the end, these songs deserve to stay on repeat.
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