Top 17 Hit Songs About Body Positivity, Self-Love, and Female Empowerment

When life tries to break me down, only music can make me feel all right. Let me share music's greatest gift through my top playlists!

The Best Body-Positive Songs and Songs About Body Image

Sometimes, we do not like what we see in the mirror, and we tend to love ourselves a little less because of it. Sometimes, the world stops us from being what we want to be and forces us to conform to its own standards.

We all go through this, and it is so hard to deal with self-hatred and loss of power just for being ourselves. So, let me help you a little bit by giving you 17 songs that can help you realize that we are all worth it and that we are all capable of being the best we can be.

17 Best Songs About Body Positivity, Self-Love, and Female Empowerment

1. "Queen" by Jessie J
2. "Perfect" by Anne-Marie
3. "21st Century Machine" by Catie Turner
4. ***Flawless by Beyoncé ft. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
5. "Most Girls" by Hailee Steinfeld
6. "Me Too" by Meghan Trainor
7. "You & I" by John Legend
8. "Masterpiece" by Jessie J
9. "Scars to Your Beautiful" by Alessia Cara
10. "Try" by Colbie Caillat
11. "Pretty Hurts" by Beyoncé
12. "Love Myself" by Hailee Steinfeld
13. "Confident" by Demi Lovato
14. "Who You Are" by Jessie J
15. "Pretty Girl" by Maggie Lindemann
16. "Mrs. Potato Head" by Melanie Martinez
17. "Clay" by Grace VanderWaal

1. "Queen" by Jessie J

• Artist: Jessie J
• Released: 2018
• Album: R.O.S.E.
• Genre: R&B/soul

It's no wonder this amazing and inspiring song comes from Jessie J. She is known for writing beautiful songs that help us love ourselves a little bit more. The chorus goes: I love my body. I love my skin. I am a goddess. I am a queen. These sentences would make us all realize that we are all beautiful and we need to love ourselves no matter what shape, size, or color we are. Jessie J is really one of the very few artists that you will not regret idolizing. She is so true with her music and she shares deep love with her fans and the people around her.

Stop chasing all the hype, my girl

Stop trying to change who you are

Stop cutting yourself up on the outside (outside)

When the inside is never scarred

It can't be healed with something materialistic

Can't be healed by a man who stays distant

It's deeper, save yourself

Before you betray yourself

— Jessie J ("Queen")

2. "Perfect" by Anne-Marie

• Artist: Anne-Marie
• Released: 2018
• Album: Speak Your Mind
• Genre: Pop

Anne-Marie is known for amazing songs like "Ciao Adios" and "FRIENDS," which is a collaboration with Marshmello. However, "Perfect" is the song that solidified my huge love and adoration for her. She is not just another pretty voice, but also someone who we can depend on to be true to herself and her music. This song is about her personal experience with body issues and depression. It tells us the story of how she learned to love herself and that there's no such thing as "being perfect." She is living proof that we are amazing just the way we are.

Don't feel like putting makeup on my cheeks

Do what I wanna

Love every single part of my body

Top to the bottom

I'm not a supermodel from a magazine

I'm okay with not being perfect

'Cause that's perfect to me

— Anne-Marie ("Perfect")

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3. "21st Century Machine" by Catie Turner

• Artist: Catie Turner
• Released: 2018
• Genre: Indie/Pop

Catie Turner was one of American Idol's 2018 finalists. She immediately captured the attention of the viewers with her unique personality and undeniable talent. She proceeded to her first audition with a song she wrote called "21st Century Machine." People instantly related to her through this song. It is about our current society, which forces girls to conform to its norms. It enumerates the things that girls in this generation were taught to do, or not do. It gives light to issues that we face while growing up. Catie's angelic soulful voice and beautiful guitar playing go hand-in-hand as she serenades us with this eye-opening song.

People on the airwaves

always preach who I should be

How to dress

How to talk

"Baby" how to breathe

Wicked artist use their limber fingers

To paint pictures of what young girls

are to aspire to be

— Catie Turner ("21st Century Machine")

4. ***Flawless by Beyoncé ft. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

• Artist: Beyoncé
• Featured artist: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Released: 2013
• Album: Beyoncé
• Genre: Contemporary R&B

Beyoncé. Need I say more?

This hit by the ever-talented singer, Beyoncé, is one of the most powerful songs about female empowerment that I've ever heard. It tackles the differences between the expectations we have on boys and girls. We tend to mold girls to be the ones to look forward to marriage and just conform to the traditional expectations of being a woman. This song makes us realize that being a girl doesn't need to be defined by how we become a wife or become the perfect smiling face society wants us to be. We may not be Beyoncé, but we can still slay, right?

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?

— Beyoncé ft. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ("***Flawless")

5. "Most Girls" by Hailee Steinfeld

• Artist: Hailee Steinfeld
• Released: 2017
• Genre: Pop music

Aside from acting since she was a kid, Hailee is now marching her way to being one of the most successful young pop stars of today. She's not just a pretty face with a pretty voice. She is also very vocal about her views about being a girl in this generation. She showcases those views in this song. "Most Girls" is about women being beautiful in their own ways because we are not all the same. It shows us how women can be gorgeous no matter what they wear. It is truly important to understand that we are all different, but we all have battles to fight. We are beautiful and worth it. We can be whatever we want to be in life!

Most girls are smart and strong and beautiful

Most girls, work hard, go far,

we are unstoppable

Most girls, our fight to make every day

No two are the same

I wanna be like, I wanna be like, most girls

— Hailee Steinfeld ("Most Girls")

6. "Me Too" by Meghan Trainor

• Artist: Meghan Trainor
• Released: 2016
• Album: Thank You
• Genre: Pop

"Me Too" is an upbeat song with a very light and bright vibe. It is about being happy with ourselves and where we are at in life. This song shows us that we can be confident and know that whoever we see in the mirror every morning is worth it and we don't need anyone to give us validation. It is one of those songs you can listen to whenever you feel low or bad about yourself. We all need to realize that we are so lucky and no one else deserves to be us more than ourselves. A little bit of self-love wouldn't hurt, am I right?

I thank God every day (uh huh)

That I woke up feelin' this way (uh huh)

And I can't help lovin' myself

And I don't need nobody else, nuh uh

— Meghan Trainor ("Me Too")

7. "You & I" by John Legend

• Artist: John Legend
• Album: Love in the Future
• Released: 2013
• Genre: R&B/soul

Most of the songs on the radio that are about female empowerment are, unsurprisingly, sung by women. That is why it is refreshing to hear songs like "You & I" by the iconic John Legend. It may be a romantic song, but appreciating women is the song's main focus. It is evident in the music video that this is not just for a specific girl, but for all the girls that are having a hard time appreciating themselves. It tells us that we don't have to try to be someone else, because we are special just the way we are.

You fix your make up, just so

Guess you don't know, that your beautiful

Try on every dress that you own

You were fine in my eyes, a half hour ago

If your mirror won't make it any clearer I'll

Be the one to let you know

— John Legend ("You & I")

8. "Masterpiece" by Jessie J

• Artist: Jessie J
• Released: 2014
• Album: Sweet Talker
• Genre: Pop

Uphill battle, I look good when I climb

I'm ferocious precocious

I get braggadocios, I'm not gonna stop

I like the view from the top

— Jessie J ("Masterpiece")

9. "Scars to Your Beautiful" by Alessia Cara

• Artist: Alessia Cara
• Released: 2015
• Album: Know-It-All
• Genre: Contemporary R&B

But there's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark

You should know you're beautiful just the way you are

And you don't have to change a thing, the world could change its heart

No scars to your beautiful, we're stars and we're beautiful

Oh-oh, oh-oh

And you don't have to change a thing, yhe world could change its heart

No scars to your beautiful, we're stars and we're beautiful

— Alessia Cara ("Scars to Your Beautiful")

10. "Try" by Colbie Caillat

• Artist: Colbie Caillat
• Released: 2014
• Album: Gypsy Heart
• Genre: Pop

Get your sexy on

Don't be shy, girl

Take it off

This is what you want, to belong, so they like you

Do you like you?

You don't have to try so hard

You don't have to, give it all away

You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up

You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try, try, try, try

— Colbie Caillat ("Try")

11. "Pretty Hurts" by Beyoncé

• Artist: Beyoncé
• Released: 2013
• Album: Beyoncé
• Genre: Contemporary R&B

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

— Beyonce ("Pretty Hurts")

12. "Love Myself" by Hailee Steinfeld

• Artist: Hailee Steinfeld
• Released: 2015
• Album: Jem And The Holograms
• Genre: Electropop, dance-pop

Yeah

When I get chills at night

I feel it deep inside without you, yeah

Know how to satisfy

Keeping that tempo right without you, yeah

Pictures in my mind on replay

I’m gonna touch the pain away

I know how to scream my own name

Scream my name

Gonna love myself, no, I don’t need anybody else

— Hailee Steinfeld ("Love Myself")

13. "Confident" by Demi Lovato

• Artist: Demi Lovato
• Released: 2015
• Album: Confident
• Genre: Pop

I used to hold my freak back

Now I'm letting go

I make my own choice

Bitch, I run this show

So leave the lights on

No, you can't make me behave

So you say I'm complicated

That I must be outta my mind

But you had me underrated

Rated, rated

— Demi Lovato ("Confident")

14. "Who You Are" by Jessie J

• Artist: Jessie J
• Released: 2011
• Album: Who You Are
• Genre: Contemporary R&B, Pop

Don't lose who you are, in the blur of the stars

Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,

It's okay not to be okay

Sometimes it's hard, to follow your heart

Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,

Just be true to who you are

— Jessie J ("Who You Are")

15. "Pretty Girl" by Maggie Lindemann

• Artist: Maggie Lindemann
• Released: 2016
• Album: N/A
• Genre: Pop

I can swear, I can joke

I say what's on my mind

If I drink, if I smoke

I keep up with the guys

And you see me holding up my middle finger to the world

Fuck your ribbons and your pearls

'Cause I'm not just a pretty girl

— Maggie Lindemann ("Pretty Girl")

16. "Mrs. Potato Head" by Melanie Martinez

• Artist: Melanie Martinez
• Released: 2015
• Album: Cry Baby
• Genre: Pop

Oh Mrs. Potato Head tell me

Is it true that pain is beauty?

Does a new face come with a warranty?

Will a pretty face make it better?

Oh Mr. Potato Head tell me

How did you afford her surgery?

Do you swear you'll stay forever

Even if her face don't stay together

Even if her face don't stay together

— Melanie Martinez ("Mrs. Potato Head")

17. "Clay" by Grace VanderWaal

• Artist: Grace VanderWaal
• Released: 2016
• Album: Perfectly Imperfect
• Genre: Pop

You see a girl in the hallway

And then you whisper to your friend

"Who is she anyway?"

You forgot what she looks like in like a day

But your words don't hurt me

I will be OK

— Grace VanderWaal ("Clay")

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2018 ThatWallflowerJen