I am sure we all have correlated a certain song with a certain mood before. We have all probably cried to “Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo on the days that we are feeling sad. However, I compiled a list of five songs — even though there are many — that I believe make me feel empowered when they need to the most.
“Run the World (Girls)” by Beyoncé (2011):
Obviously I had to include this powerful song by the queen herself! When I listen to this song, I feel even more proud to be a woman, which is why it needs to be on the list. Beyoncé ensures her fans and those who happened to stumble upon this very popular song that girls do in fact run the world.
“Run the World (Girls)” is for women who are on their grind and who are taking over the world, as Beyoncé sang proudly. She even goes to dedicate this song to the men who respect what women do — as she should! All in all, this song goes off in the best way possible and should be on everyone’s playlist of empowering songs.
“Confident” by Demi Lovato (2015):
As a longtime fan of Demi Lovato, I love this song. When they came out with a song about how there’s nothing wrong with being confident, I put it on repeat. Their amazing vocals elevate the song to what it is and the empowering lyrics about not letting anyone drag you down when you feel confident is why this song deserves to be on this list. If you are happy in the skin you are in and want to tell the world, consider what Demi sings and prove the haters wrong!
“I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy (1972):
Released 40 some years ago, this song conveys a very powerful message that is still important today. Shoutout to my wonderful mother because I first heard this song when she played it in the car for me! “I Am Woman” is about not letting anyone intervene with your emotions, and ensuring you feel strong, wise, invincible, and most importantly, like a woman. According to the lyric website Genius, Helen’s song became the unofficial anthem of the Women’s Liberation Movement.
“Good as Hell” by Lizzo (2016):
When I think of a song about self-love and confidence, one of the songs I think of is “Good as Hell” by the amazing Lizzo. Lizzo is known for making empowerment anthems, but this song in particular caught my attention. What I love about “Good as Hell” is that it gives me the motivation to go about my life the way I want to without the approval of others. So, if you are ever feeling unmotivated and are lacking self-confidence, I would suggest listening to this song as a stepping stone towards “bossing up”, as the great Lizzo puts it.
“Respect” by Aretha Franklin (1967):
Last but not least is “Respect” by the great Aretha Franklin. I am sure that everyone knows this song and its memorable lyrics but in case you don’t, “Respect” by Aretha Franklin is a song that exudes empowerment and promotes respect for women. In the song, Aretha heavily preaches that women deserve just as much respect as men do but it means so much more than that. Vox explained that Aretha’s song was an anthem for feminism and civil rights, “…paving the way for future musicians to unite politics and pop” (North, 2018). Aretha created such a powerful message around the simple word ‘respect’. I put this song on the list not only to honor the late Aretha Franklin, but because it is one of my favorite songs and this list wouldn’t have been complete without it.
So, how many of these songs have you heard of? If you have heard of any of them, did you see them in this empowering light like I do? Songs are more than just the music and lyrics, they are key to promoting self-love, confidence, power, and respect — all important elements of feeling empowered.