Walking across campus, nearly every student I see has ear buds in. Music is the rhythm of my students’ lives; it is like their lifeline, the rhythm like their heart beat. But, really, isn’t music like that for so many of us, regardless of our generation?
When I was writing Beautiful You, it was really important to me to include at least one passage about music since it can have such an impact on our psyche. Ultimately, Day 91 was turned over to playlist making– I asked readers to create playlists that celebrated women’s empowerment, based on a blog post that I had written in 2007 called the Soundtrack of Female Empowerment (this is still one of the most viewed posts on my site).
On Monday, in the body image classes I teach, I asked my students to get in small groups and create their own positive body image/ self-esteem/ empowerment playlists. They made some great selections so I thought I’d share some of their choices with you for your own playlist creation. Feel free to share your own choices here, too!
Beautiful by Cristina Aguilera
Fighter by Cristina Aguilera
Loving Me for Me by Cristina Aguilera
I Am Not My Hair by India Arie
Video by India Arie
Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
Girls Run the World by Beyonce
If I Was a Boy by Beyonce
You’re Beautiful by James Blunt
Never Again by Kelly Clarkson
Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson
Stronger by Kelly Clarkson
Independent Women by Destiny’s Child
Survivor by Destiny’s Child
The Climb by Miley Cyrus
More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz
Stronger by Sara Evans
R.E.S.P.E.C.T by Aretha Franklin
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey
Born This Way by Lady Gaga
Who Says by Selena Gomez
Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer
Pretty Girl Rock by Keri Hilton
Who You Are by Jessie J
Woman’s Worth by Alicia Keys
I’m Every Woman by Chaka Khan
Skyscraper by Demi Lovato
Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars
Your Body is a Wonderland by John Mayer
This One’s for the Girls by Martina McBride
Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney
Beautiful by Musiq Soulchild
Love Don’t Change by Musiq Soulchild
What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction
Firework by Katy Perry
Part of Me by Katy Perry
Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful by Kellie Pickler
Don’t Let Me Get Me by Pink
F***in’ Perfect by Pink
So What by Pink
Raise Your Glass by Pink
Ungolden by Jill Scott
She Wolf by Shakira
My Way by Frank Sinatra
Stronger by Britney Spears
Unpretty by TLC
I Hope You Dance by Leann Womack
That’s mostly a great list. I have a hard time with the John Mayer song. I can’t listen to anything of his without thinking of the horrible things he has said to and about women, particularly the time he told a NY Mag report that he was going to “forcefully sodomize” her editor because he didn’t like the questions she was asking.
Oh goodness, Courtney. I don’t follow J. Mayer at all so I don’t know that story but there are just no words for that behavior. Glad to know about it; thank you.