Pink's latest song is about positive self-talk and treating one's self more kindly.

I came across this song on a list of some of Taylor Swift's favorites.  Similiar to Taylor Swift's song "Mean" this song is a song about those who criticize you, the people who want to see you fail.  Keys suggests you handle the criticism by proving them wrong.  

In the lyrics of her latest release, from upcoming album Speak Now, Swift takes the high road in reaction to her critics in this catchy tune.      

                                     

 

"Never Again" tells a story of domestic abuse from the prospective of a young boy who witnesses him mother being beaten by his father.  From Nickelbacks first commercial album, Silver Side Up, "Never Again" was no. 1 on the charts.                        

 

"Raise Your Glass" is Pink's latest single, created for an upcoming greatest hits album.  Pink says this song is a celebration of the underdog, including those in the gay community.  The video of this song will feature a gay wedding.  Great party song.  Very upbeat and catchy.              

 

"Stronger Woman" was Jewel's first single from her country album, Perfectly Clear.  This song tells the story of a woman who has never been single.  She makes the decision to leave an unhealthy relationship. This time, rather than finding a new man to ease her pain, she will learn to stand on her own two feet, to become a stronger woman.  

 

The lyrics tell the story of a man who holds back his emotion while losing the woman he loves, because "boys don't cry." 

 

This Single from Kelly Clarkson's 2009 album, "All I Ever Wanted," is a catchy anti-hookup song.   

 

"Oh Mother” is a salute from Aguilera to her mother, a survivor of domestic violence.  As a child, Aguilera witnessed her father beat her mother on a regular basis.  When he became abusive towards Aguilera and her siblings, Aguilera's mother took the children and left the relationship.  In a 2009 interview, Aguilera said she does not have a relationship with her father because of the hurt his abuse caused. 

 

Aguilera sings about growing up in a home where she witnessed her father beat her mother.  

"Superwoman" is an inspirational song about the strength of a woman by R&B-singer–songwriter Alicia Keys from her album, As I Am (2007).  This song earned Keys her second consecutive Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2009, and was nominated for Outstanding Music Video and Outstanding Song at the 40th NAACP Image Awards.

This song tells the story of a woman who has lost her own identity in her relationship.  She tried to tell him how she felt, but he wouldn't listen.  Now she's done allowing him control her life and is ready to stand on her own two feet.  

Keys sings that a real man values his woman and treats her well.

 Catchy tune, with a meaningful message about discrimination.

 This is an empowering song about having the courage to move forward in life.

This catchy song tells the story of a date rape and ends with the rapist spending the remainder of his life in prison.                                  

 

India Arie deserves recognition for more than her individual songs or albums.  India Arie is a women and artist we truly admire.  Her albums are full of songs with inspiring messages.  Arie takes great pride in her gender and ethnicity without expressing negativity towards non-members.  Arie is one classy and talented woman.                     

 

Another fantastic song by india.arie with a powerful message: a person's past difficulties and failures do not have to be a part of their present image of themselves.  Each of us has the ability to redefine ourselves,  and improve our situations and attitudes.       

 

india.arie sings about realizing the extent of her inner strength, courage, and wisdom.

 

In this song, Beyonce and Shakira play the roles of women who found out they were seeing the same man.  Rather than blaming one another, the women realized that the man was the one at fault, and that he wasn't worth fighting over.

 

If you've ever had your heart broken or felt like you can't depend on people, this is the song for you. Beyonce sings of the lesson she learned when she was cheated on by someone she loved and trusted.  She learned of the importance of being her own best friend, and how empowering it is to realize that no matter what others in your life do or don't do, you can always rely on yourself to do what is best for you.

 

This song is another anthem of female empowerment in praise of independant women.  

 

This song is an anthem of female empowerment.  In "Can't Hold Us Down" Aguilera expresses her disgust with double standards.  Aguilera encourages women to stand up for themselves and not allow others to "Hold us down."

 

"Love The Way You Lie" is a hit from Eminem's latest album "Recovery." This is an intense, highly emotional song describing the nature of a violent, abusive relationship.  Both Rihanna and Eminem have experienced domestic violence personally-Rihanna as victim of past boyfriend, Chris Brown, and Eminem, as a perpetrator.  Here's what Rihanna had to say about Eminem's lyrics  "... He basically just broke down the cycle of domestic violence, and it's something that a lot of people don't have a lot of insight on. So this song is really a powerful song and touches a lot of people."  Some people have taken offense to some of the lyrics of this song, such as "I love the way you lie" sung by Rihanna.  Taken in the context of the song and its expressed intent, this is not to mean that a victim literally wants to be lied to or abused.   

 

"King of Anything" is the first single released on Sara Bareilles upcoming second album.  In this song Bareilles sings about her ability to take care of herself and irritation caused by those who doubt her ability.  Like "Love Song" this song has attitude.  When asked about the song, Bareilles said "I've had more unsolicited advice on my life than I care to mention, and this was how I dealt with it. It felt empowering to turn that frustration into music."    

 

"Don't Tell Me" is a song written by Avril Lavigne on her second album "Under My Skin."  Avril considers this song to share a message of "girl-power."  The lyrics tell the story of a a girl's experience of unwanted sexual advances and rejecting the pressure to have sex when she doesn't want to. 

 

"Remember That" is a song about domestic abuse.  Simpson uses her own experience of domestic abuse to pass along an important message to other victims-no matter how much you love and miss him or how much you want to believe he will never abuse you again, get out of the relationship.  Simpson sings "When its 3 am and he's at your door and he wants you back and he's begging for forgivness" 

remember the abuse.  When asked by the interviewer for Elle whether Simpson had ever been physically abused, she replied, "I don't want to talk about it, but I have definitely experienced abuse in a way that I would tell people to take their heart and run."

 

Adam Lambert, who finished second on the eighth season of American Idol, was the first openly gay mainstream artist to start his career on a major record label in the U.S.  His first album, For Your Entertainment, debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 in December 2009, and sold 198,000 copies in the United States in the first week.  With his sexually provacative performances and dress, Adam Lambert has made great strides in breaking down gender barriers for male performers.  To learn more about Adam Lambert and his effect on American culture, read our blog post entitled Adam Lambert and the Gay/Bi-sexual Double Standard.