Need a hefty dose of female empowerment? These five songs were written by women to celebrate women. Some of these classics might ring a bell; others might open up a whole new world of music for you!
1. “Swimsuit Issue” by Sonic Youth
One of Sonic Youth’s most well-known songs from Dirty, “Swimsuit Issue” is an intense and raw song in which Kim Gordon croons about misogynistic behavior that far too many women still experience in the workforce. According to the liner notes of the album, the song was inspired by a particular awful employee at the band’s then-label Geffen.
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2. “50ft Queenie” by PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey has never been a stranger to writing songs that celebrate women. “50ft Queenie” is probably her greatest song in that category. Straight from Rid Of Me, this track is about what you’d expect from one of the greatest alternative rock stars of the 1990s. It’s a bold, fearless, and attitude-drenched song about literally being a 50-foot-tall woman who eats men because they’re “a good form of protein”, according to Harvey.
3. “Newspaper” by Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple has written numerous songs about the female experience, but “Newspaper” is a personal favorite. It’s a great little gem from Fetch The Bolt Cutters with absolutely perfectly crafted lyrics. In “Newspaper”, Apple croons to a woman who is dating her awful, no-good ex-boyfriend who is likely treating his new girl as badly as he treated Apple. It’s an unfortunately relatable song, but Apple’s vocals give it a profound and uplifting energy.
4. “Modern Girl” by Sleater-Kinney
Need something on the sweet side? “Modern Girl” by Sleater-Kinney is a powerful but still fun song about hope… And women need a lot of that these days. If you read between the lines of this alt-rock song, it’s a poetic exploration of growing from a girl into a woman, and the chaotic nature of the song is quite fitting.
5. “Rebel Girl” by Bikini Kill
“Rebel Girl” is the song of songs that celebrate women, and riot grrrl legends Bikini Kill’s biggest song to date. “Rebel Girl” was the ultimate anthem of the 1990s’ particular wave of feminism in the United States, and it’s still a (very relevant) bop today.
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American rock group The Cyrkle (American drummer Marty Fried, American singer and guitarist Don Dannemann, American singer and guitarist Tom Dawes (1944-2007), and American keyboard player Michael Losekamp), pose with Dawes having an unspecified Okeh Records seven-inch record over his mouth, location unspecified, circa 1965. (Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Canadian musician Neil Young of Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young performs on stage at Wembley Stadium, London on September 14th 1974. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) -
American singer-songwriter Janis Joplin (1943-1970) performing live at the Generation Club in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood of New York City, New York, April 1968. Upon its closure, the Generation was bought by Jimi Hendrix and converted into Electric Lady Studios. (Photo by Tucker Ranson/Archive Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
ZZ Top Portrait Session, Dallas Texas, 1983(Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis via Getty Images)
