In a time where the president brags about sexual assault and a TV series interpretation of the dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale is frighteningly relevant, overt feminism in pop culture is not just important, but necessary. Musicians approach the topic in a variety of ways, though, sometimes separating their politics from their art and sometimes combining them.
Often laden with lyrical objectification, dance music has never been the prime place for music and politics; folk music and singer/songwriter styles often lend themselves much more easily to such social commentary. But as politics have become more divisive and women’s rights more regularly attacked through attempted healthcare “reform,” many musicians have taken to expressing feminist issues—ranging from body shaming to unequal pay (and respect) in the workforce and more—through music that still makes you want to bust a move. Here are six bass-heavy, grind-worthy feminist anthems simultaneously fit for danceable and political raging.
1. Kesha, “Woman”
After years of legal battles against Dr. Luke, Kesha is—as the rallying cry went—free. But now that Sony has allowed her to work without her alleged assaulter’s influence, the pop singer/songwriter unleashed the tragi-ballad “Praying” along with the announcement of her new record, Rainbow, due August 11. However, just a few days later, Kesha offered “Woman” as the emotional flipside to “Praying.” Featuring the legendary Dap-Kings as her backing band, “Woman” is a funk-fueled song of defiance. Disguised as a ladies party anthem, Kesha announces her real intent when the chorus hits and she sings, “I’m a motherfucking woman,” It’s the sound of bold feminism rejecting white male privilege.
2. Miss Eaves, “Thunder Thighs”
This Brooklyn-based singer and rapper arguably initiated the season of DGAF, 2017. Her anthem about chub rub, mom jeans, and body acceptance and positivity made waves in all crannies of the internet, which was both surprising and delightful. Although the hilarious video was apparently shot about a year ago, Miss Eaves’s new album Feminasty includes “Thunder Thighs” and drops August 4.
3. Kim Boekbinder, “Head Bitch In Charge”
Self-proclaimed “noise witch” Kim Boekbinder recently released her first new song since her 2013 album The Sky Is Calling. “H.B.I.C.” (which, of course, stands for “Head Bitch In Charge”) is a ferocious slice of electro-pop that aims to reclaim the word, “bitch.” But while the song begins almost as spoken word, the whips crack and synths build until the song reaches peak club banger. Boekbinder counts out the insults women receive on the reg: “1. You think I’m bossy / 2. You think I look mean / 3. And you don’t like me,” before pausing briefly to deliver the knockout, “4. I don’t care.” “Head Bitch In Charge” will appear on Boekbinder’s forthcoming LP NOISEWITCH, due out September 8.