♫ Sisters are doin’ it for themselves.♫
We’ve put together this top ten playlist of inspirational female performers/songwriters.
What better way to celebrate the lives and music of these empowering women than to put your headphones in, turn up the volume, and have a little sing-a-long.
1.) Katy Perry, ‘Roar’
Katy Perry is Twitter’s most followed celebrity (an impressive 94.5 million people) meaning she is able to share her girl-power-preaching lyrics to the worldwide masses.
Roar was released in 2013 and, five years on, it’s still a sure-fire way to get everyone on the dance floor.
Why we love it:
with lyrics like ‘I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter/Dancing through the fire/’Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar’ Katy Perry sounds fearless and ready to take on the world.
Listen to it here.
2.) Alicia Keys, ‘Girl on Fire’
Alicia Keys rose to fame in the early 2000s, immediately standing out from the crowd of commercialised pop and derivative MTV videos. Feminism was in her music from the beginning but with the 2012 belter ‘Girl on Fire’ she made it loud and clear.
Why we love it:
Alicia’s musical talent is boundless and the combination of feminist lyrics sung by someone who is an actual bona fide musician doesn’t come cheap
Listen to it here.
3.) Beyonce, ‘Run The World (Girls)’
It would be criminal to make a playlist filled with empowering women and not include some Beyonce. Beyonce’s voice has quite literally been instrumental in the cultural shift towards modern day feminism and its impact has been felt around the world. As if that wasn’t cool enough, her songs go on to address a range of other issues affecting women including gender stereotyping, racism and infidelity.
Why we love it:
There’s no subtle message in this track, Beyonce’s dancefloor filler is unapologetically clear in promoting female empowerment.
Listen to it here.
4.) Aretha Franklin, ‘Respect’
Arguably Aretha’s most famous song ‘respect’ was released more than 50 years ago and continues to be one of the world’s most recognisable tunes. Aretha’s hit rejected the male dominated world of the 60s and her energetic lyrics continue to embolden women today.
Why we love it:
The track was actually a rearranged version of a song by male singer Otis Redding whose original reinforced the traditional family dynamic of the time. Franklin’s version of the song flips the lyrics around so that it is the woman demanding (all together now) r-e-s-p-e-c-t.
Listen to it here.
5.) Taylor Swift, ‘Shake It Off’
Taylor Swift is a role model to millions of young fans around the world. It’s refreshing to see a Popstar wholeheartedly accept feminism, especially when popstars before her have relied on sex-appeal over talent.
Why we love it:
‘Shake It Off’ encourages people to ignore ‘the haters’ and just carry on being yourself. The song delivers on two fronts: it contains SUCH a great motto for young girls and it’s incredibly catchy.
Listen to it here
6.) Little Mix, ‘Salute’
Girl Power saw a UK renaissance with the arrival of Little Mix who shot to fame after winning The X-Factor back in 2011. Little Mix consistently release on-trend songs that empower their young fans. Unafraid to call themselves proud feminists, Little Mix are leading the way for future generations to celebrate strong and independent women.
Why we love it:
‘Salute’ contains such powerful messages of female empowerment that it has been used in campaigns ranging from a flash mob against forced marriages to being the soundtrack of women’s Olympic team in America
Listen to it here.
7.) Eurythmics feat. Aretha Franklin, ‘Sisters are Doin’ It for Themselves’
We’ve already mentioned the feminist kudos of Aretha Franklin so it’s little wonder that we’ve picked this song by Eurythmics, with the lady herself featuring in the chorus. This chart-topping 80’s anthem sold millions of records and continues to persuade even the most self-conscious of dancers to move their feet!
Why we love it:
‘Sisters Are Doin it for Themselves’ is a song celebrating female camaraderie and support. Like many of the songs in this playlist it encourages women to be independent, strong and empowered. It’s also the perfect karaoke song.
Listen to it here.
8.) Lesley Gore, ‘You Don’t Own Me’
Long before Beyonce dominated the soundwaves, Lesley Gore was singing lyrically empowering songs in an era when feminism was still largely an underground movement.
Why we love it:
‘You Don’t Own Me’ is a protest song about men who try to hold women down. Used in the classic film ‘The First Wives Club’, the song encourages women to reject the role of submissive female and celebrate equality instead.
Listen to it here.
9.) Destiny’s Child, ‘Independent Women’
Destiny’s Child brought feminism to a whole new generation of fans with this R&B chart-topper and theme to the Charlie’s Angels movie. Since the trio split up the girls have gone on to have solo ventures – with Beyonce’s being the most notable – but still regroup for the odd performance to their adoring and very independent fans.
Why we love it:
‘Independent Women’ not only introduced the concept of self-sufficiently to an international audience of young teens, it also had a brilliant music video which was NOT misogynistic (a rare occurrence in the era of the 90’s MTV channel).
Listen to it here.
10.) Glynis Johns, ‘Sister Suffragette’
Disney films aren’t exactly known for discussing political history but the 1964 release of Mary Poppins seemed to be an exception to this rule. Glynis Johns, who plays the indomitable Mrs Banks in the film, is portrayed as a strong women fighting to obtain votes for women. She even wears a sash!
Why we love it:
‘Sister Suffragette’ is of particular significance in 2018 (100 years since women won the right to vote) and the song is a thank you letter to all the hardwork of the suffrage movement: “Our daughters’ daughters will adore us/And they’ll sign in grateful chorus/”Well done, Sister Suffragette!”
Listen to it here.
Jennie Crosby
Has to be Sisters are doing it Gosh the amount of times I’ve sang that since It came out in The eighties
Followed by You don’t Own Me. Got to me even more when watching the Handmaids Tale
Maggs
Great choice. Thanks for putting it together and spreading the message.