Women Empowerment Songs: Inspired by Beyoncé

When it comes to women empowerment songs Beyoncé’s name comes to the top of the list again and again! A singer, songwriter, actress, performer, mother of three, and wife to acclaimed rapper Jay Z, Beyoncé embodies modern feminism. Her powerful and fierce lyrics combined with her business savvy and brilliant artistry inspire women around the globe.
Beyoncé’s illustrious career began with dance classes in her hometown of Houston, Texas at St. Mary’s Montessori School. She performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child before rising to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of the R&B girl-group Destiny’s Child.

Source: Photo by JStone via Shutterstock

With nearly three decades in the spotlight and over 100 million records sold worldwide, Queen Bey is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. She has a collection of albums with Destiny’s Child, six solo sets, a handful of sold-out world tours, 22 Grammy awards and a slew of other industry accolades.
If you are looking to for some musical girl power here are 12 women empowerment songs by Beyoncé that are sure to inspire you!

“Independent Women, Pt. 1,” Survivor

The Destiny’s child trio, young Bey, Michelle Williams, and Kelly Rowland, playfully celebrate women who fund their own lives, not needing a man to provide for them.

Destiny’s Child – Kelly Roland, Michelle Williams, Beyonce Knowles, 2005. Source: Photo by By Everett Collection via Shutterstock.

“All the women, who are independent
Throw your hands up at me
All the honeys, who making money
Throw your hands up at me
All the mommas, who profit dollars
Throw your hands up at me
All the ladies, who truly feel me
Throw your hands up at me”

“If I Were a Boy,” I am…SASHA FIERCE

Opening her third solo album, Beyoncé highlights the unfair double standards women experience in their romantic lives in “If I Were A Boy.”

“If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I’d be a better man
I’d listen to her
‘Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
‘Cause he’s taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed”

“Irreplaceable,” B’Day

On her second solo album, B’Day, Bey sings about knowing you deserve nothing but the best and remaining strong in the face of dishonor. He is replaceable, but she is most certainly not. This is one of those women empowerment songs that makes you want to stand up and scream they lyrics!

“You must not know ’bout me
You must not know ’bout me
I can have another you by tomorrow
So don’t you ever for a second get
To thinking you’re irreplaceable”

Beyonce performing Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) on The O2 Arena stage in London. Source: Photo by Idrewuk via Wikimedia Commons.

“Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” I am…SASHA FIERCE

In “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” Queen Bey promotes the value of knowing your worth in the midst of a breakup.

“Cause if you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he want it
If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it”

“Ring the Alarm,” B’Day

One of her more aggressive vocals, Beyoncé roars about a cheating boyfriend and the pain of letting go while still wanting to hold on.

“Tell me how should I feel
When you made me belong
And the thought of you just touching her is what I hate most
I don’t want you but I want it and I can’t let it go
To know you give it to her like you gave it to me, come on (oh)
 
He’s so arrogant and bold (oh)
But she gone love that shit, I know
I done put in a call, time to ring the alarm
‘Cause you ain’t never seen a fire like the one I’m gon’ cause”

Beyoncé Pavilhão Atlântico. Source: Photo by José Goulão via Wikimedia Commons.

“Pretty Hurts,” Beyoncé

Women constantly battle with feeling “pretty enough” in the eyes of society, in “Pretty Hurts” Beyoncé sings about the illusions of perfect beauty that women battle.

“Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever’s worse
Perfection is the disease of a nation
Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever’s worse
Tryna fix something
But you can’t fix what you can’t see
It’s the soul that needs the surgery”

“Survivor,” Survivor

Beyoncé, Rowland and Williams sing about surviving a breakup in this hit from the early 2000s.

“Now that you’re outta my life, I’m so much better
You thought that I’d be weak without ya, but I’m stronger
You thought that I’d be broke without ya, but I’m richer
You thought that I’d be sad without ya, I love harder
You thought I wouldn’t grow without ya, now I’m wiser!
You thought that I’d be helpless without ya but I’m smarter
You thought that I’d be stressed without ya, but I’m chillin’
You thought I wouldn’t sell without ya, sold nine million”

Beyoncé at Super Bowl XLVII halftime show. Source: Photo by Pete Sekesan via Wikimedia Commons.

“Run the World (Girls),” 4

“Who run the world?
Girls”

The strength and resilience of women is remarkable. In “Run The World (Girls)” Beyoncé rises as a visionary as she provides an anthem to women, telling the world who’s really in charge.

“I’m repping for the girls
Who taking over the world
Have me raise a glass
For the college grads”

“***Flawless,” Beyoncé

A favorite of Bey’s women empowerment songs, in ***Flawless, Beyoncé and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie boldly declare to the world a woman’s empire has nothing to do with her husband, and that it’s a mistake to discount any person based on gender.

“We teach girls to shrink themselves
To make themselves smaller
We say to girls
“You can have ambition
But not too much
You should aim to be successful
But not too successful
Otherwise you will threaten the man”
Because I am female
I am expected to aspire to marriage
I am expected to make my life choices
Always keeping in mind that
Marriage is the most important
Now marriage can be a source of
Joy and love and mutual support
But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage
And we don’t teach boys the same?
We raise girls to each other as competitors
Not for jobs or for accomplishments
Which I think can be a good thing
But for the attention of men
We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings
In the way that boys are
Feminist: the person who believes in the social
Political, and economic equality of the sexes”

Beyonce Knowles at the People Magazine Post Grammy Party. Eleven, West Hollywood, CA. Source: Photo by S_bukley via Shutterstock

“Sorry,” Lemonade

In her sixth studio album, Lemonade, Beyoncé preaches that women should never apologize for being who they are or feeling what they feel in “Sorry“.

“I ain’t thinking ’bout you
I ain’t thinking ’bout
Middle fingers up, put them hands high
Wave it in his face, tell him, boy, bye
Tell him, boy, bye, middle fingers up
I ain’t thinking ’bout you
Sorry, I ain’t sorry”

“6 Inch,” Lemonade

At the core of Beyoncé’s Lemonade album was her marriage to Jay Z. She often depicts the most devastating and vulnerable aspects of their relationship, and in “6 Inch” she sings about the fact that she rules her world and how she doesn’t need a man to prop her up.

“Six inch heels, she walked in the club like nobody’s business
Goddamn, she murdered everybody and I was her witness

She works for the money, she work for the money
From the start to the finish
And she worth every dollar, she worth every dollar
And she worth every minute”

“Freedom,” Lemonade

If you are looking to muster up your inner strength then Freedom should be one of your go-to women empowerment songs!

“Freedom! Freedom! I can’t move
Freedom, cut me loose!
Freedom! Freedom! Where are you?
Cause I need freedom too!
I break chains all by myself
Won’t let my freedom rot in hell
Hey! I’ma keep running
Cause a winner don’t quit on themselves”

“I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner strength to pull myself up. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade”

 
Beyoncé uses her platform to promote equality, independence, fierce work ethic, self-love and commitment. So, when you are looking for a little woman to woman lift pick one of these women empowerment songs and feel the power of her beautiful voice and poetic lyrics!
Words by Anna Bimba

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