I’m the mother of two TEENAGE DAUGHTERS. So yeah, your YouTube comments don’t scare me. What does scare me is sending them to the beach wearing cheeky bikini bottoms, minimal tops, and without a strong sense of their self-worth. With this in mind, I’ve put together this playlist to help us all empower young women and remind them that the world is their oyster that no woman or man shall put asunder. Let’s go!
CHIKA – CROWN
Launched into stardom after posting her rhymes on Insta, Chika was nominated for this year’s Best New Artist Grammy (much to my delight). Her raspy voice, honest lyrics, and assuming looks make her the perfect spokesperson for today’s generation, a group she gets. Consider these lyrics:
Okay, this for the kids with depression
The ones whose parental expectations got them stressin’
The ones who would rather persevere, bust they ass tryna make it
‘Cause they ain’t really living in the present
As a parent of a recent high school grad, I get this. But where CHIKA really shines is in the chorus:
Ain’t nobody gonna bring me down
I’m on an elevator
I’m on to something greater
Ain’t nobody gonna take my crown
Yes. A million times. Yes.
MisterWives – SUPERBLOOM
As we send out kids out into this post-pandemic world, I think we can all admit that it’s been hard. At the same time, keeping your loved ones at all is a luxury. There are five million families who did not fare as well. So join your kids in celebrating the fact that we made it through! Send them out with joy, confidence, and a sense that the world is still a place of wonder, beauty, and love. I can think of no better anthem for this sense of elation than SUPERBLOOM:
Resilient little thing/just like mama raised you
So you got that wildfire in your soul
Don’t you ever let it go
Make it burn so bright that they all know
Don’t hesitate to pat yourself on the back here too:
I deserve congratulations
‘Cause I came out the other side
I’ve been having revelations
And I’m gon’ let them shine.
FIONA APPLE – Fetch The Boltcutters
Regardless of how cool and stable your think your daughter is, I think we can all agree that no one is entirely immune to the evil power of The Wrong Dude. We’ve all experienced The Wrong Dude, and sadly, regardless of how hard we try to keep them out, many of us end up working for, working with, and God-forbid, marrying The Wrong Dude. For that, I prescribe an Apple.
Back after many years, Fiona Apple gifted us all with one of the greatest lockdown albums conceivable, ‘Fetch The Boltcutters.’ And although other tracks on the album, such as “Shameika” (which was also Grammy Nominated) and “I Want You To Love Me,” may have garnered more attention, the title track captures an anti-Wrong Dude riff, unlike anything I’ve heard before.
All the VIPs and PYTs and wannabes
Afraid of not being your friend
And I’ve always been too smart for that
But you know what?
My heart was not
I took it like a kid, you see
The cool kids voted to get rid of me
I’m ashamed of what it did to me
What I let get done
It stole my fun, it stole my fun
Fetch the bolt cutters,
I’ve been in here too long
One emotion that I don’t think gets enough attention in kids in general, particularly girls, is anger. There’s a lot for them to be angry about beyond the obvious (sexism, racism), there are also plenty of young women who experience sexual abuse or harassment due to what sexual acts they do or don’t perform. Leveraging your divine feminine while productively harnessing your anger is a delicate balancing act that still eludes many adults, don’t let your girl grow up to be one of them.
Hayley Williams – Simmer
For a young woman (and mother) Hayley Williams gives such sage advice about handling anger in all forms.
There’s so many ways to give in
Eyes closed
Another way to make it to ten
Oh, how to draw the line between wrath and mercy?
Gotta simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer down
Amen to that, Hayley. But just in case you’re still angry, feel free to belt out this line, Mom, your girls will forgive you:
Mmm, and if my child needed protection
From a f*cker like that man
I’d sooner gut him
‘Cause nothing cuts like a mother
Indeed.
If all else fails and your daughter just loses it, sometimes the best thing to do is to lean in. For this, pray to St. Vincent.
St. Vincent – Pay Your Way In Pain
Of course, there a billion songs I could recommend to find female power. But sometimes, life just hurts. And Our Lady Of Grammy Nominations is here to help.
You got pay your way in pain
You go to pray your way in shame (uh-huh)
If that bad photo went viral or your daughter’s loser boyf shares something he shouldn’t have, remind your girl that we’ve all had it, bad. And let St. Vincent tell it to you both again:
You got pay your way in pain
You go to pray your way in shame (yeah,ow)
Do you have other songs that you use with your girls to get them revved up or out of a funk? Please share them below or on my socials feeds. Muh, muh, Mama.