Music
25 Songs Every Badass Woman Needs In Her Life
Crank up your speakers and prepare to feel like a boss.

When it comes to music, a song has the fundamental ability to change a listenerâs mind, mood, and perspective. Just a few notes can magically transport you back to a specific moment in time, cause tears to well up in your eyes, or head to the dancefloor to dance the night away. Thereâs no better feeling in the world, however, than when you hear a song that inspires you to be your boldest, most confident self. If you find yourself chasing that happy-go-lucky adrenaline rush that washes over you every time BeyoncĂ©âs âRun the World (Girls)â or Taylor Swiftâs âThe Manâ pops up on shuffle, then look no further than these 25 songs that every badass woman must have in their life and their Spotify or Apple Music libraries.
While this is not a list of feminist songs per se, the tracks on this list do share a common focus on empowering and uplifting female voices and perspectives. Itâs why this playlist is jam-packed with influential anthems â from the always unapologetic and powerful Lizzoâs âGood as Hellâ to the rollicking country rock goddess Dolly Partonâs â9 to 5â â that are all performed by female artists. One listen to any of these songs and youâll feel ready to take on the world and make it your own.
Whether youâre in a slump or already on top of the world, a sick beat, a powerful female vocalist, and badass lyrics can really take you to the next level. So crank up your speakers and prepare to feel like a boss because these songs are sure to get you turned up.
1. âBitch Better Have My Moneyâ by Rihanna
âDon't act like you forgot / I call the shots, shots, shots / Like bra, bra, bra / Pay me what you owe me, don't act like you forgot.â
Having a terrible day and need a song that will turn it all around? Rihannaâs got you covered. âB*tch Better Have My Moneyâ is a fiery, unapologetic tune that will remind you not to take ish from anyone else. Its lyrics are all about feeling confident, demanding what's rightfully yours, and remembering your own self-worth. So go seize the day!
2. âRun The World (Girls)â by BeyoncĂ©
âThis goes out to all the women getting it in, you on your grind / To all the men that respect what I do, please accept my shine / Boy, you know you love it / How we smart enough to make these millions / Strong enough to bear the children (children) / Then get back to business.â
This is a song choice that needs no explanation. BeyoncĂ©âs feminist anthem âRun the World (Girls)â is an incendiary, unflinching look into myriad titles that women take on throughout their lives â daughter, wife, businesswoman, mother â and how the world would be nothing without them. It also urges listeners to harness their own inner power, take pride in their achievements, and keep aiming for the next goal.
3. âThese Boots Are Made For Walkinââ by Nancy Sinatra
âThese boots are made for walkin' / And that's just what they'll do / One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.â
Nancy Sinatra's classic 1966 hit was truly ahead of its time. Its message was simple, yet effective: Cheat on me, and be prepared to pay the consequences. The track's country guitar jangle, hard-hitting bass drum, and snappy tambourine also leaned into the song's messaging and provided a hard, almost threatening contrast to Sinatra's sweet vocals. So, if anyone gets on your bad side, turn this song up, get your boots on, and start walking!
4. âSend My Love (To Your New Lover)â by Adele
âI was too strong, you were trembling / You couldn't handle the hot heat rising (rising), mmm / Baby, I'm still rising / I was running, you were walking / You couldn't keep up, you were falling down.â
When it comes to breakups within music, most songs tend to veer down the path of heartbreak, endless tears, and residual longing. While Adele has not shied away from that territory in the past â who can forget âHello?â â âSend My Love (To Your New Lover)â centers on knowing you were too good for that ex to begin with and itâs truly their loss, not yours. Upbeat and extremely catchy, this is the song to listen to when youâre free of all the drama and ready to move on.
5. âMan! I Feel Like A Womanâ by Shania Twain
âGirls need a break, tonight we're gonna take / The chance to get out on the town / We don't need romance, we only wanna dance / We're gonna let our hair hang down / The best thing about bein' a woman / Is the prerogative to have a little fun.â
Letâs go, girls! The first seven notes of country icon Shania Twainâs hit âMan! I Feel Like a Womanâ are some of the most recognizable in music history. This track is all about the joy of letting loose and being your fierce, flirty, and independent self. Color your hair! Do what you dare! Be free to feel the way you feel.
6. âDiamonds Are A Girlâs Best Friendâ by Marilyn Monroe
âA kiss on the hand / May be quite continental / But diamonds are a girl's best friend / A kiss may be grand / But it won't pay the rental / On your humble flat / Or help you at the automat.â
Name a more iconic performance in film history than Marilyn Monroe singing âDiamonds Are a Girlâs Best Friendâ in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Weâll wait. While draped in Tiffanyâs, Cartier, Black Starr, Frost Gorhamâs best, Monroe warns listeners not to fall for the mind games men play and to instead focus on the glitzy gifts they offer instead. The idea of not needing a man â and certainly not falling for his sweet-talking and deception â but using them to obtain gorgeous jewelery is the ultimate girlboss move.
7. âWomanâ by BoA
âNo comparing / I shine just as I am / Iâm beautiful enough / To be a woman / Hey yeah yeah yeah / In a stylish and modern picture / Iâm enjoying this adventure / A true woman.â
Known for her strong vocals and dance prowess, K-pop solo artist BoA has remained at the forefront of Korean entertainment for the last 21 years. The title track of her ninth Korean album, âWoman,â is a female empowerment anthem that stands up to the harsh beauty standards forced upon women and encourages listeners to celebrate their own inner beauty instead. Feels good to be a woman, indeed.
8. âStrongerâ by Britney Spears
âYou might think that I can't take it, but you're wrong / 'Cause now I'm stronger than yesterday / Now it's nothing but my way / My loneliness ain't killing me no more / I, I'm stronger.â
Britney Spearsâ 2000 single âStrongerâ is the uplifting pop hit we all need in our lives. The trackâs emotional chorus centers around the idea that, no matter what the world or the people around you might believe, youâre strong enough to get through anything that comes your way. So, like Spears, take control of your own destiny and never look back.
9. âSour Candyâ by Lady Gaga & Blackpink
âI'm sour candy / so sweet then I get a little angry, yeah / Sour candy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / I'm super psycho / make you crazy when I turn the lights low / Sour candy.â
With its pulsating backbeat and sugary lyrics, Blackpink and Lady Gagaâs 2020 collab track is a sensual club bop that will make you want to get up and dance. The song â which likens a person's mysterious, quick-tempered personality to the shockingly sweet treat â is not only a perfect encapsulation of both artistsâ styles but also a total mood booster with its cool, confident lyrics. So channel your own sour candy and get out there!
10. â9 To 5â by Dolly Parton
âBut you got dreams he'll never take away / In the same boat with a lot of your friends / Waiting for the day your ship will come in / And the tide's gonna turn an' it's all gonna roll your way.â
What a way to make a living! Written and sung by Dolly Parton for the eponymous 1980 film (which she also starred in), the timeless classic â9 to 5â shines a spotlight on the difficulties women around the world face within the workplace. This song feels almost therapeutic. Whether itâs âbarely getting by,â feeling unjustly passed up for a promotion, or having your ideas blatantly stolen, Parton levels with the everyday listener and provides a glimmer of hope: âThe tideâs gonna turnâ one day. Keep going!
11. âThe Manâ by Taylor Swift
âI'm so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I'd get there quicker / If I was a man / And I'm so sick of them coming at me again / 'Cause if I was a man / Then I'd be the man.â
Taylor Swiftâs 2020 hit âThe Man'' flawlessly called out all of the hypocrisy surrounding how men and women are portrayed within media and society. While a man is deemed âcomplex,â âcool,â and âan alpha typeâ for dating around, flaunting his wealth, and making âpower movesâ at his job, Swift highlights how women are painted as ârude,â undeserving, or other derogatory names for the exact same behavior. The cutting, atmospheric track is truly the feminist anthem we need.
12. âGood As Hellâ by Lizzo
âCome now, come dry your eyes / You know you a star, you can touch the sky / I know that it's hard but you have to try / If you need advice, let me simplify / If he don't love you anymore / Just walk your fine ass out the door.â
Lizzoâs feel-good party hit âGood as Hellâ 100% deserves a spot on this list. Itâs impossible to listen to this song and not feel almost healed by its heartfelt lyrics afterward. It feels like a three-minute hug from your best friend and will leave you inspired to go out and paint the town red.
13. "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood
âI dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive / Carved my name into his leather seats / I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights / I slashed a hole in all four tires / Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats.â
Every badass woman knows the power Carrie Underwoodâs hit single âBefore He Cheatsâ holds. The country rock single tells the story of Underwood getting some much-needed revenge on her cheating partner, and while its opening verses that disparage other women arenât great (thatâs 2005 for you), the sweet satisfaction of its chorus continues to make this track a must-have in all badass female playlists. Donât try this at home, but do enjoy the fantasy.
14. âSavage Remix (Feat. BeyoncĂ©)â by Megan Thee Stallion
âI'm a savage, yeah (OK) / Classy, bougie, ratchet, yeah (OK) / Sassy, moody, nasty, yeah (Hey, hey, nasty) / Acting stupid, what's happening?â
Megan Thee Stallion and BeyoncĂ© do not miss. Ever. So you know the combination of both artists on a single song was always destined for a spot on this playlist. âSavage Remixâ is a celebration of confident women who are strong in their own convictions and take no flak from anyone. Plus, if you know the TikTok dance, then thereâs a fun dance element to it, too.
15. âDonât Start Nowâ by Dua Lipa
âIf you don't wanna see me dancing with somebody / If you wanna believe that anything could stop me / Don't show up, don't come out / Don't start caring about me now / Walk away, you know how / Don't start caring about me now.â
Dua Lipa is done with relationship drama in âDonât Start Now.â After a bad breakup, the cutthroat disco bop cuts straight to the chase in its funky chorus: If you donât want to see me moving on, then donât come out, because I will be having fun and if that makes you upset, then thatâs your problem. The coy lyrics assure listeners that they can enjoy themselves without living under the shadow of their ex, which is a message we love.
16. âNightmareâ by Halsey
âNo, I won't smile, but I'll show you my teeth / And I'ma let you speak if you just let me breathe / I've been polite, but won't be caught dead / Lettin' a man tell me what I should do in my bed.â
Halsey takes aim at men who try to constantly dictate the lives of women in their gritty, high octane hit âNightmare.â In addition to growling at men who tell her to smile on the street (the ultimate power move), the track takes no prisoners when it comes to getting Halseyâs main point across: âI donât owe you a godd*mn thing.â A true badass moment.
17. âStrip (Feat. Sharaya J)â by Little Mix
âTake off all my make-up / 'Cause I love what's under it / Rub off all your words, don't give a uh, I'm over it / Jiggle all this weight, yeah / You know I love all of this / Finally love me naked, sexiest when I'm confident.â
If you need a confidence boost, then look no further than Little Mixâs âStrip.â This song is all about celebrating the female body, mind, and soul, and its delightfully simple melody allows its empowering lyrics to take center stage. One moment âStripâ is slicing through the negativity and the next the Little Mix members are gassing you up, and for that it deserves a spot on this list.
18. âPart Of Meâ by Katy Perry
âThis is the part of me / That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no / Throw your sticks and your stones / Throw your bombs and your blows / But you're not gonna break my soul.â
Katy Perryâs 2012 hit âPart of Meâ is not only an iconic tune, but it carries with it an important message: Never change yourself just to please someone else. The trackâs lyrics paint Perry as someone who has gone through the ringer and come out the other side stronger and more assured of herself than ever before. Trust us, that self-reliance and strength never goes out of style.
19. âGod Is A Womanâ by Ariana Grande
âAnd I can be all the things you told me not to be / When you try to come for me, I keep on flourishing / And he see the universe when I'm the company / It's all in me.â
Ariana Grandeâs seductive, shimmery, slow-crooning single is all about the beauty of the divine feminine energy that we all possess as people (yes, including men!). The track is soft and delicate with Grandeâs lilting vocals, yet also has a no-nonsense approach to people who try to diminish the light and power a woman holds. When all is said and done, after listening to this song, you will believe God is a woman.
20. âRhiannonâ by Fleetwood Mac
âAll your life you've never seen / Woman taken by the wind / Would you stay if she promised you heaven? / Will you ever win?â
From its slow-churning backbeat to its multi-layered harmonies, thereâs a sort of mystical aura that flows through Fleetwood Macâs 1976 hit âRhiannon.â Itâs almost as mysterious as the trackâs strong-willed protagonist, the titular Rhiannon, who is as beautiful as she is unreachable. Why is this track on this list, you might ask? Because Rhiannon is truly badass. Despite how many people want her, sheâs focused on herself and her own dreams rather than completing anyone elseâs. She is conscious of the world and the people around her, yet always chooses to go her own way instead. Need I say more?
21. âWannabeâ by Spice Girls
âNow you know how I feel / Say, you can handle my love, are you for real / I won't be hasty, I'll give you a try / If you really bug me then I'll say goodbye.â
If you wanna listen to songs performed by badass women, then the Spice Girlsâ âWannabeâ needs to be on that list. The 1996 bop was the British girl groupâs first single and set the record straight out of the gate by declaring: âIf you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends.â The bubbly song was cognizant that, while they might seem fun at first, romantic relationships can also be temporary. Instead, it reveals that the bond between best friends is the most important; after all, âfriendship never ends.â
22. âGood 4 Uâ by Olivia Rodrigo
âWell, good for you, you look happy and healthy / Not me, if you ever cared to ask / Good for you, you're doing great out there without me, baby / Like a damn sociopath!â
Olivia Rodrigoâs pop-punk bop âGood 4 Uâ is the perfect track to scream, pout, and stomp your feet along to. Itâs dramatic, high-energy, and a snarky-sweet blast from start to finish that will leave you feeling powerful. So tap into your own residual teenage angst and crank up the volume!
23. âTherefore I Amâ by Billie Eilish
âStop, what the hell are you talking about? Ha / Get my pretty name outta your mouth / We are not the same with or without / Don't talk 'bout me like how you might know how I feel / Top of the world, but your world isn't real / Your world's an ideal.â
Billie Eilishâs slow-grooving, nonchalant takedown of fake friends, wannabe lovers, and haters on âTherefore I Amâ is the energy we all need to take into 2022. While the world is primed and ready to criticize her every move, Eilish appears laid-back and does not diminish her own power and ingenuity to make others feel comfortable. In the end, she gets to have the last laugh, telling haters: âI'm sorry I don't think I caught your name.â
24. âCry For Meâ by Twice
âI want you to cry, cry for me / The way I cried for you, baby, cry for me / Make your rain fall, cry for me.â
K-pop girl group Twice is no stranger to releasing girl power-infused hits; the English version of their 2020 hit âCry for Meâ hinges upon the vision of wanting to see their ex cry as much as they did after their breakup. Backed by its desire for comeuppance, the deceptively sweet track is badass in all of the best ways.
25. âJust A Girlâ by No Doubt
â'Cause I'm just a girl, oh, little old me / Well, don't let me out of your sight / Oh, I'm just a girl, all pretty and petite / So don't let me have any rights / Oh, I've had it up to here.â
In 1995, No Doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani â yes, the Gwen Stefani â channeled all of her inner rage at the patriarchy and societyâs expectations of women into the hard rock hit âJust a Girl.â The song furiously describes all of the societal restrictions that get placed on women every single day, from being afraid to go outside to having their rights stripped away. It is a track that still feels painfully relevant to this day, and its lyrics will have you shouting: âOh, I've had it up to here!â
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