International Women’s Day may only be a twenty-four hour event, but all month in the Spotlight office we’re saluting the incredible female-identifying artists whose music we have the pleasure of celebrating daily. Today, just like many others, our office stereo will be blasting some of the best, boldest and most empowering female anthems. If you want to join us in the festivities, press play on these positive bangers and turn the volume up high!

Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin – Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves

“Now this is a song to celebrate the conscious liberation of the female state.” Co-written by Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart, they accomplished everything they laid out in lyrics. Flying out to Detroit to record with soul legend Aretha Franklin, they created one of the most iconic feminist anthems of all time. Nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, over twenty-five years later the song was covered at the prestigious Awards ceremony by Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, Florence Welch, Jennifer Hudson and Yolanda Adams in tribute to Aretha. Not only a song that unites, but one that’s clearly stood the test of time. 

Alicia Keys – Girl on Fire

Originally inspired by the birth of her son, Alicia Keys told an audience in Manchester that this 2012 hit is about “Letting go of anything that’s holding you back. Following your light. Following your passion. That puts you on fire.” An empowering anthem driven by Alicia’s incendiary vocals, it’s been certified platinum six times in the US. Keen to create a video that all women could relate to and find inspiration in, Alicia worked with British director Sophie Muller to show everything it takes to accomplish the normal expectations that come with being a woman. 

Miley Cyrus – Mother’s Daughter

“Every woman is a riot,” declares an opening slide of Miley Cyrus’ 2019 video for Mother’s Daughter. Showing a diverse range of women, the clip reinforces the song’s message of freedom from narrow expectations. It also features a cameo from Miley’s mother, Tish Cyrus, paying homage to the belief she had in her daughter. At the start of this decade, it went viral in Poland in response to a restriction of abortion laws, as thousands protested using lyrics from the track. Co-written with Finnish pop-star ALMA, the track is a confronting and empowering call to arms. 

Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Originally written by American musician Robert Hazard from a male perspective, Cyndi Lauper flipped the song’s meaning to create an anthem of female camaraderie. Her first solo single, it played a huge part in 80s culture and fashion, even prompting a movie of the same name in 1985 starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt and Shannen Doherty. It was nominated for two Grammys, and has been certified six times platinum in the US and twice in the UK. A song that’s synonymous with a good time, we’re certain this hit has soundtracked the end to many a working day! 

Joan Jett – Bad Reputation

One of the greatest rock songs of all time, Bad Reputation is Joan Jett’s defiant stomp against the expectations of patriarchal society. Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2022, Joan said she always wore her bad rep as “a badge of honour.” Since its release, the track has often been used in TV shows and movies to spotlight those who think differently, act with independence or reject societal pressures. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 by none other than Miley Cyrus, opening her set with this song.

Meghan Trainor – NO

While Meghan Trainor’s 2016 hit may be a song of empowerment, it’s one that comes from an exhausting place. Encouraging women to reject unwanted advances from men, the song contains the word no a massive eighty-five times. Talking to Billboard Magazine, Meghan said, “I went to the studio and said, ‘I need a big, angry anthem’ and it turned into an awesome woman anthem about being independent.” It’s a statement that has clearly resonated, winning the song platinum certifications in eight countries around the world, twice so in the US. This month, say yes to no. 

Alexandra Burke – Broken Heels

Taking a schoolyard taunt and working it into an empowering anthem, Alexandra Burke turned the patriarchal tables with this 2010 hit. “All the ladies tell the fellas we can do what they can do. We can do it even better with broken heels,” she sings in the midst of a call to arms that propels with the speed and confidence she boasts. While it may be inspiring, broken heels probably aren’t advisable as daily footwear. 

SZA – Drew Barrymore

Taken from her debut record CTRL in 2017, Drew Barrymore rejoices in the strength found from embracing your own weakness. Written in homage to the tender lead characters often played by the song’s namesake, the video features a cameo from the star. Writing about the song, The Line of Best Fit said, “In one fell swoop, she dismantles the myth of the Black Superwoman – an infallible figure with infinite emotional resources to distribute and support any and everyone in need of it with zero room for error.” Drew Barrymore is proof that empowerment can come in even the quiet moments. 

Patti Smith – People Have The Power

If feminism is the idea that all people have equal rights and opportunities, then People Have The Power by Patti Smith is surely one of the greatest feminist anthems of all time. Co-written with her late husband Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith, its refrain is simple but incredibly evocative. Speaking to Mojo in 2018, Patti said, “Fred wanted it to be sung by people all over the world. I’ve been on marches where people who didn’t know me sang it with banners held high. It’s beautiful because it’s exactly what he wanted.”