Playlist: Women Empowerment

Some days, I want to stay in bed.

I don't want to get up and deal with life.

I'd rather sulk to the kitchen, get a tub of ice cream, and crawl back under my blankets and throw myself a damn pity party while watching old Friends reruns.

It's on these days that I need this playlist.

I need this playlist to remind me that I'm a woman and women are the most powerful people on the planet. I can be part of a revolution, if only I allow myself to be.

So, I get up...

I turn on this playlist...

And I get shit done.

(Sometimes the most I do is take a shower and make sure I take my anxiety medication, but hey...my therapist says that's okay).

Let's get into it so you, too, can be your baddest self today.

#1: "Human Nature" by Madonna

It wouldn't be a female empowerment playlist without a song from Madonna, obviously.

The majority of Madonna's songs celebrate women, but Human Nature has got to be one of my favorites.

"Express yourself, don't repress yourself."

One of my favorite lines is, "I'm not your bitch, don't hang your shit on me."

And when she says, "I'm not apologizing, would it sound better if I were a man?"

I felt that.

"Human Nature" is a track on the 1994 album, Bedtime Stories.

#2: "Respect" by Aretha Franklin

I know you've heard it. Probably at two AM at a shitty dive bar being sung by a drunk woman who was having the time of her life (I may or may not be talking about myself here).

Anyways, Respect. Aretha Franklin is, quite frankly, the queen of everything. If you haven't heard this song, are you even truly living?

"All I'm askin'/Is for a little respect when you come home"

This is one of those dance around in your apartment singing into a hairbrush type of songs.

I'm here for it. Do your thing, girl.

"Respect" is a track on the 1967 album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.

#3: Cherry Bomb by The Runaways

Doesn't this one just make you feel ALIVE?

Cherry Bomb has always made me feel like I'm this badass woman who can do whatever I want. I remember being sixteen years old, driving around with my windows down, blasting this song. What a rebel.

"Hello, daddy. Hello, mom.

I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!

Hello world! I'm your wild girl.

I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!"

Grab 'em by the balls, ladies!

"Cherry Bomb" is on the 1976 self-titled album, The Runaways.

#4: You Don't Own Me by Lesly Gore

Lesly Gore's You Don't Own Me climbed all the way to the number two spot on Billboard's Hot 100 in the USA. It stayed on the number two spot for three weeks, consecutively, but never could quite claim the number one spot. The number one song in America at this time was "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles.

Lesly Gore said, during an interview, "My take on the song was: I'm 17, what a wonderful thing, to stand up on a stage and shake your finger at people and sing you don't own me."

-Lesly Gore

Can you imagine being a young woman in the '60's and just jamming out to this melody?

Me too.

"I'm young and I love to be young

I'm free and I love to be free

To live my life the way I want

To say and do whatever I please

And don't tell me what to do"

"You Don't Own Me" is on Lesly Gore's 1963 album, Lesly Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts.

#5: No Scrubs by TLC

You kn ow I had to give you a little more 90's action. I'm a 90's baby, after all.

I remember being much too young, singing along to this song in the backseat of my mother's car while she played it FROM A CASSETTE TAPE.

Yep. That's right. If you don't know what a cassette tape is, don't @ me. Google is a wonderful thing.

"A scrub is a guy that can't get no love from me."

They said it best. I had no idea what a "scrub" was, but I was into it then and I'm still into it now.

Breakup with your shitty boyfriend, invite your girlfriends over, and blast this song until you don't remember his name.

Hey, Alexa...Play No Scrubs by TLC.

"No Scrubs" is on TLC's 1999 album, FanMail.

#6: I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor

How many times has this song been played at weddings? Probably too many times to count. Wouldn't you think it's kind of an odd one to play? Like...you'll survive the marriage? I don't get it, but that isn't what's important here...

This son is an actual bop. One that will continue to be played for the generations to come to liven us up and remind us that even though Starbucks was out of their cold foam, we will survive. #firstworldproblems

"But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong...

And I grew strong.

And I learned how to get along!"

This is another one of those songs that is a real good pick-me-up after a breakup. Play it. You won't regret it.

"I Will Survive" is from the 1978 album, Love Tracks.

#7: Nameless, Faceless by Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett is the girl I always wanted to be growing up. Instead, I just looked really mean and no one understood because being different was very uncool in the late 90's and early 2000's.

"Don’t you have anything better to do

I wish that someone would hug you

Must be lonely

Being angry"

Nameless, Faceless reminds me that the world is a super scary place and that I really do hold my keys between my fingers while I walk in a dark parking lot.

Sometimes, music that's this honest goes more unnoticed because people don't always want to hear the truth. We're all a little happy living inside our bubbles.

Well. I think 2020 popped all of our bubbles and it's about damn time to take ownership over our lives. Can I get an AMEN?!

"Women are scared that men will kill them

I hold my keys

Between my fingers"

"Nameless, Faceless" is from Courtney Barnett's Tell Me How You Really Feel, released in 2018.

#8: I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross

When this song comes on, I immediately feel like I'm about to take over the world.

Or at the very least...wash my hair.

Do you have that one go-to song that just makes you feel like you can do anything? Let this be it today.

"There's a new me coming out

And I just had to live

And I want to give

I'm completely positive

I think this time around

I am gonna do it

Like you never do it

Like you never knew it"

This is the ultimate empowerment song, for anyone really, but especially women. You can knock us down, but not for long.

"I'm Coming Out" is a single from the 1980 album, Diana.

#9: None of Your Business by Salt 'N' Peppa

If you try to say that Salt 'N' Peppa doesn't make you want to dance, you're lying and that's that.

"What's the matter with your life?

Why you gotta mess with mine?

Don't keep sweatin' what I do

'Cause I'm gonna be just fine check it out"

None of Your Business screams women empowerment. They talk about doing what they want with their bodies and not answering to anyone. Hello!

Salt 'N' Peppa really brought it, didn't they? They have a bunch of singles that could have totally made this list!

"I feel like if 'None Of Your Business' was released today, it would go viral in an instant . What makes Salt N Pepa so bold is that they independently chose to flip the script. They behaved like they were as empowered as the male rappers. They wore sexy clothing, talked about enjoying casual sex, they objectified men, and across many tracks directly addressed the way women were/are shamed for promiscuous behaviours." She concluded with "On the 20th anniversary of their Grammy for 'None Of Your Business', I don't think it's an overstatement to call these women visionaries and we need more like them."

-Sarah Oaks from Daily Life

"None of Your Business" is on the 1994 album, Very Necessary.

#10: Bitch by Meredith Brooks

My god. Bitch is an actual anthem. And one of the main reasons I love it is...men think this word is the worst thing they can do to us. Calling us bitches? I'll take that over you murdering me in my sleep. You feel me?

"So take me as I am

This may mean you'll have to be a stronger man

Rest assured that when I start to make you nervous

And I'm going to extremes

Tomorrow I will change

And today won't mean a thing"

If this song isn't my life...I swear.

Meredith decided to beat men to the punches and call herself out with all the labels society places on us women.

"I'm a bitch

I'm a lover

I'm a child

I'm a mother

I'm a sinner

I'm a saint

And I do not feel ashamed

I'm your hell

I'm your dream

I'm nothing in between

You know you wouldn't want it any other way"

"Bitch" is from Meredith's Blurring the Edges, released in 1997.

Put on these songs and remember that you can handle anything life, or idiots, throw at you today.