Women’s History Month: Modern songs that celebrate the accomplishments of women

Story by Krystal Loritts / Contributing Writer

March is Women’s History Month, and since this month is dedicated to celebrating the contributions and accomplishments of women, it seems obvious to list some great songs by women today that spread not only themes of self-love but also independence, getting over relationships and not giving up on dreams and goals.

“Formation” – Beyoncé

Would it really be a list of empowering songs without this iconic track? Not only did Beyoncé make yet another song for women to dance to and quote every day on her landmark 2016 record “Lemonade,” but the song is intended for black women in particular. She talked about loving traditional black features, put black women and men of all shades in her music video and made sure we all got into formation in order to celebrate ourselves.

“Cinderella” – The Cheetah Girls

“Cinderella” is a bit of a throwback, but The Cheetah Girls were a group that preached nothing but girl-power and made the message clear that by not waiting for a guy to come and take care of you, you can focus more on taking care of yourself. This song pulled that narrative through in the first Cheetah Girls movie, with the girls singing about how their parents always told stories of princesses waiting for princes to come save them. There’s one line in the song that gets frequently quoted which declares “I’d rather rescue myself,” providing a triumphant moment in Disney Channel history.

“That’s My Girl” – Fifth Harmony

This song embodies girl empowerment not only for oneself but also for girlfriends and anyone else that identifies as a woman in your life. The entire song features the girl group Fifth Harmony encouraging their fans to be the best woman they can be and instead of fixating on the number of times you fall, choosing to focus on the amount you get up and continue to dominate. Not only is it a great song when you feel down, it also provides a great track to work out to. With a great beat and an amazing message, this one’s a no-brainer.

“I Don’t Need A Man” – The Pussycat Dolls

The title says it all, The Pussycat Dolls make sure everyone knows they don’t need a man to be great or to feel sexy. “I Don’t Need A Man” is an anthem for everyone—especially after a messy breakup from a significant other. The song can also serve as a daily reminder that you can conquer the world by yourself if you wanted to.

“Man! I Feel Like A Woman” – Shania Twain

Shania Twain gave the world a fun song to dance to during this month, and while it came out in 1997, let’s say she knew how the world was going to be now. Twain made this song for all the women in the world and gave the message that we as women can have fun, be loud and take up space if we want.

“Independent Women” – Destiny’s Child

“Independent Women” is a powerful song for a powerful movie, “Charlie’s Angels,” that’s all about working hard for what you have and calling on a man not because of finances, but for welcome company. The song has the iconic chorus, “All the women who are independent throw your hands up at me.” It’s another fun song that gives the listener the ability to brag about their accomplishments without putting the focus on a man helping to achieve them.

“Don’t Touch My Hair” – Solange

Black women constantly have their hair messed with and touched by strangers on a daily basis and this song by Solange is an open letter to everyone that insists on touching black women’s hair. In the song, Solange confidently proclaims “They don’t understand / What it means to me / Where we chose to go / Where we’ve been to know.” Because Women’s History Month tends to erase women of color, this song had to be highlighted as a staple alongside the others.

“Power” – Little Mix

Little Mix has a song that is all about girl-power called “Salute” on their album “Salute,” and though all of their songs are pretty much girl-power-centric, they went off in “Power” this time around. Not only does it have lyrics that underscore the power that women hold in themselves but the song also has a great lyric that goes “I ain’t the chick to run behind you around town.” If you want an upbeat, powerful song to listen to while you workout or even get ready for the day, don’t pass this one up.

“Survivor” – Destiny’s Child

Although this song was meant for anyone who doubted Destiny’s Child, listeners can interpret this song in a number of different ways. Of course, you can do the same with most of the songs on this list as well, but this song really is just about surviving and proving wrong anyone that chooses to doubt you. “Survivor” is a song to be played when you are feeling uncertain and it will almost certainly provide inspiration to be taken from it.

While there are millions of songs that can make up someone’s Women’s History Month playlist, these are just some starters. Make sure you listen to some of these songs not only during this month but as much as you can because in the end, shouldn’t every month be a celebration of women?

To contact Music Editor Hayden Goodridge, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.

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