The ultimate dgaf playlist

In an industry that often focuses more on the physical appearance of female musicians rather than their talent, often powerful lyrics and messages are overshadowed. In order to praise female musicians for their talent and ability to perform we highlighted some of the music industry’s talented women. Their music encourages women to be confident and own their sexuality – that’s the music we want to hear.

Spice Girls – Wannabe

Not only is this song iconic, but it emphasizes the importance of honest communication and female friendships. Recently the UN revamped this classic hit to emphasize the importance of quality education for women, equal rights, equal pay, and many more global issues.

Beyoncé – Pretty Hurts

In the song Beyoncé emphasizes the idea that perfection is unachievable. Her lyrics note the pressure to to adhere to beauty standards and the contradicting messages women hear on a daily basis. While depicting a pageant girl who personifies societal pressures, she clarifies that personal happiness is the key to success. 

P!nk – Perfect

Pink is the badass every girl aspires to be. Her song Perfect is the ultimate girl anthem for accepting yourself no matter what. P!nk isn’t perfect and we don’t have to be either.

Christina Aguilera – Fighter

Christina thanks the haters in Fighter for all of the things they put her through. Her artful depiction of all the things people put her through paired with electric guitar embodies the importance of turning hurt and pain into inspiration. A big thanks to Christina for making us fighters.

Alicia Keys –  Girl on Fire

Alicia Keys uses her powerful vocals to create a girl anthem for being the best you can be. Her character in her video is a strong woman who is determined to succeed no matter what distractions she’s faced with. Recently, Alicia has sworn off makeup and embraced her natural looks. She’s beautiful, unapologetic, and certainly on fire.

Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl

Gwen managed to teach us how to spell the word ‘banana’ while simultaneously telling the haters to back off. She shows us how to confront our bullies and keep being our best selves.

Ellie Goulding – Army

Ellie created the best friend appreciation song of all time for her best friend Hannah. She shows us the power friendship can have, and how it can get you through anything. She appreciates Hannah for being there for her the way we should appreciate our friends that have been there for us. Ellie appreciates her army, and we should too.

Demi Lovato – Confident

Demi hasn’t shied away from the many obstacles she’s faced growing up and she came out on top. It’s only fitting that she plays a character in her video that embraces confidence and strength just as she has. She poses the question “what’s wrong with being confident?” and the answer is nothing. Demi’s confident and nothing can knock her down.

Halsey – Hurricane

Halsey prides in being a hurricane full of flaws. Her powerful lyrics have propelled her to great heights, and she recently preformed at a sold out show in Madison Square Garden. She’s open about her flaws and has proven her ability to rise and thrive despite different obstacles in life. With self acceptance comes her sense of freedom that has resonated with people all around the world. If she’s doing this at 21 there’s no telling where she’ll end up. If this is what life looks like after the storm we’ll gladly embrace the hurricane.

Bebe Rhexa – I’m Gonna Show You Crazy

To anyone who’s ever been told that their dreams are crazy and they should conform, Bebe Rhexa proves that embracing your demons can make you great. As long as you work towards your dreams you can be successful no matter what other people say about you. Your dreams are only crazy until they come true.

Grace – You Don’t Own Me

At only 17, Grace proves that being independent is the route to success. In the song she belts the importance of not being tied down. She recently dropped an album and she is well on her way to becoming a vocal powerhouse. No one owns Grace and she’s doing just fine.

Alessia Cara – Wild Things

Alessia is a 20-year-old singer from Canada best known for her hit, Here. In her song, Wild Things she sings about being unapologetic and living freely. It looks like Alessia is just going to keep producing great songs and living the way she wants to live. It might be a good idea to take on her philosophy of living freely and following our passions. It seems to be working for her.

Hailee Steinfeld – Love Myself

19-year-old Hailee recently starred in Pitch Perfect Two and has proven her musical talents through several musical hits. She’s learned how to love herself and be happy with who she is. She’s using her time in the limelight to show us how to love ourselves.

Khelani – 24/7

Khelani has faced many demons in the spotlight. Her mistakes have made her stronger in the long run. She reminds us in her song, 24/7 that we should be able to make mistakes and doubt ourselves sometimes. Not everyday is going to be perfect, but what’s important is moving foreword.

These women are inspiring others with their power messages. It’s important to honor the female musicians who put themselves in the public light and share their internal battles while inspiring others to do the same. Whether they’re already labeled as superstars, or still working on making a name for themselves, these women are worth celebrating.