10 women empowerment songs to revisit this women’s day
"Strong enough to bear the children and get back to business," - Beyonce.
Mainstream pop culture has been one of the advocacy of women indipendence and ferminism. From as early as the 60s and to contempoary pop-culture, female musicicians have used their craft to advocate for women empowerment The late Aretha Franklin made the world to spell R.E.S.P.E.C.T women, while Beyonce reminded women around the world that they run the world.
Ten women empowerment songs:
The late queen of Soul Aretha Franklin released ‘Respect’ in 1967 which was innitially composed and recorded by the late Ottis Redding. Ferminist back then were not about Ottis Redding version because he was demanding respect without earning it. Aretha remixed the song, her version is a declaration from a strong, confident woman, who knows that she has everything her man wants. She never does him wrong, and demands his “respect”
A Chaka Khan classic from the dynamic duo of Ashford & Simpson released in 1978. Khan advocate the role of a superwomen who can do almost anything that cannot be done. Even though the song is directed to a certain love interst, women all over the world saw it as an empowerment to what they are cabable to do in a world characterised by partriachy.
Lesley Gore 1964 ‘You Don’t Own me’ is a classic ferminist advocacy. One can only imagine how men felt back then when the song was released. The song was released during the era where women fought for gains in economic freedom, as well as the freedom to regulate their own fertility or choose their sexual partners without fear . Women wanted to have a say over their bodies. The song was against women bieng used as display toys, who are good only for their physical traits. The song was later on featured on the 1st Wives Club film when Better Midler, Goldie Hawn and Dianne Keaton in the film finally reliased their worth.
From the 1980 Motown album ‘ Diana’ even though the song is commonly now associated with LGBTI advocacy and movements about embracing ones’s sexuality, the song was innitially about Dianna telling the world that a female is coming out and will show the world how it is done. It is a song about coming out from any type of freedom, various personal bondage, if you feel free, free from abuse, fear, toxicity, come out! Dance, celebrate self love! Come out!
This Gloria Gaynor 1978 hit talks about personal strength following an initially devastating breakup. The song title ‘I will survive’ is used as a weapon against any form of abuse. It goes hand in hand with the notion ‘what doesnt kill you makes you stronger’
Destiny’s Child following the release of their tracks such as ‘Bills Bills Bills’, ‘Jumpin Jimpin’, ‘Bug a Boo’ society percieved the girl group as Gold Diggers. In reply to those comments the group released ‘Indipendent women’ a tribute to all the self-sufficient, self-motivated and self-made women paving a way to cosmo-ferminism, advocating that a women can be sexy and indipendent at the same time, having bought everything she has with her own money. A motivation to women about indipendance ‘all the women who indipendent trow your hand up at me’
The Beyhive queen is known for her ferminist approach in most her song, always advocating for women empowerment and emancipation. The song ‘Run the world’ potrays female as ferminine in appearance but masculine in appearance. Beyonce advocate that women also have power to run the world, the power which is often linked with masculinity. She says women are strong enough to bear the children then get back to business. an example of utmost power and strenght.
The song features Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who narrate about the different society expectation on how girls and boys ought to behave. She says ‘Because I am female I am expected to aspire to marriage I am expected to make my life choices Always keeping in mind that Marriage is the most important Now marriage can be a source of Joy and love and mutual support But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage And we don’t teach boys the same’
The title of the song ‘Girl on fire’ says it all. A contemporary pop anthem that advocates about the powerfull women. Even though their are walking on fire, the girl is not coming down. All the painful things that women go trough, Alicia sings that they will burn them down for their on fire. A positive feel good jam.
Ariana Grande changed the narrative when she sang that ‘God is a women’ even though she aint saying that god is a women she is just trying to get the message out that women are strong and can be independent and that strength/intelligence shouldn’t be mainly concentrated on men.
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