Songs of Empowerment
Music allows people to process emotions and navigate difficult times. It helps put feelings into words, and it provides clarity in situations that seem impossible to get over in the moment. Throughout our lives, especially our college years, we rely on music for almost every emotion — anger, fear, nostalgia, excitement, sadness and more. There’s a song for feeling scared of what the future holds, for feeling angry we failed a test we spent hours studying for, for feeling excited for a trip that finally made it out of the groupchat and for feeling hurt when a relationship or friendship has ended. With February being a month of red and pink colors and people discussing their Valentine’s Day plans, ghosts of relationships past come up. The path to healing and moving on from a past friendship or relationship is not an easy and straightforward route. This playlist captures the idea that healing and moving on isn’t a linear process, but it can be an empowering one.
Flowers — Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus’ lead single for her upcoming album, “Endless Summer Vacation,” demonstrates the importance of self-love. Although this song is about her past breakup, she reminds us that the true love of your life is yourself. One lyric that sticks out to us the most is, “I can love me better than you can.” Through this line, Cyrus emphasizes that finding fulfillment on your own takes time, but we have the ability to find self-love.
Look At Her Now — Selena Gomez
It’s common to feel lost and confused after the end of a turbulent relationship — whether it was familial, platonic or romantic. These types of relationships often leave us doubting other people in our lives, or even doubting ourselves. “Look At Her Now” is Selena’s expression of her own healing and a message of personal growth that came from a difficult chapter of life. She is finally reaching a happy place, and lyrics such as “she’ll find love” and “if she wants it” demonstrate rejoice in healing. Not only is this a song about heartbreak and what came out of it, but it is also a song for everyone who has come out on the other side of being heartbroken and relates the greatness that comes with that.
Conceited — SZA
After seven weeks straight as #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, SZA’s second album, “SOS,” was a perfect example of unapologetic attitude. “Conceited” is a must-listen in order to instantly snap out of moments of insecurity and remind yourself that you are THAT girl. Past relationships can have a lingering effect on us, subconsciously holding us back. SZA’s flow infects us with an energy that fills the room, pushing us to relish in the power that comes with who we are. Life is never fully in our control; this song helps us relinquish that control and determine our own self-worth and love.
idc — Renforshort
Lauren Isenberg, also known as Renforshort, expresses the feeling of betrayal and hurt through her single “idc.” Her heartfelt music tackles topics such as anxiety, growing up and heartbreak. Although this song focuses on romantic heartbreak, it exemplifies the importance of trust within any relationship. Once that mutual trust falters, disrespect can slowly creep in. The lyric, “show some respect or we’re through,” stuck out to us as an important line for people to hear, especially in this generation of dating. At times, there may be a lack of respect in a relationship, and it can feel “normal” to be treated that way. Respect builds feelings of security. Therefore, this go-to scream song allows us to channel those frustrated emotions and release the hold of the past.
ADDITIONAL SONGS FOR YOUR PLAYLIST:
BYE ME FUI by Bad Bunny
I Forgot That You Existed by Taylor Swift
Consideration by Rihanna ft. SZA
What would you do? by Tate McRae