Singer-songwriter Rachel Platten took a break from penning pop hits like “Fight Song,” and shared her top girl power tracks with Us Weekly.
“Hand in My Pocket” by Alanis Morissette
“I remember hearing her for the first time and feeling ecstatic and overwhelmed that a girl could sound like that. She sounds so angry yet feminine. It made me want to be a rock star.”
“Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani
“This one totally changed the game. Nobody else can sing like her. Sigh. She is the ultimate strong, sexy woman.”
“Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” by Beyoncé
“All hail! I tried to copy the moves in the video, then stopped immediately.”
“Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson
“She’s such a boss. I can’t help but scream at the top of my lungs to it. I’ve now gotten to play two shows with Kelly and I completely fan girl out.”
“Blank Space” by Taylor Swift
“Taylor’s someone that so many of us girls look up to. In this song, we see a different side of her that is just as powerful. Love how she owns up to her faults in this. Now that’s a strong chick.”
“Think” by Aretha Franklin
“The ultimate boss lady. I used to cover her in my high school jam band (poorly) but goddammit I don’t care. When you sing Aretha, you just feel like you’re singing into your hairbrush in front of the bathroom mirror and nothing else matters.”
“I’ll Take You There” by The Staples Singers
“I saw Mavis [Staple] in Harlem at the Apollo and it hit me riiiight in the heart — she is SO incredible live and she sang from her soul. That’s some girl power.”
“Boom Clap” by Charli XCX
“This song makes me feel sparkly and happy and makes me wanna be girlie, sing loud, and wear pink. I covered it on tour this spring and rocked some electric guitar for it — then I put some Nicki Minaj ‘Anaconda’ rap in the middle of it. Why not?”
“How It Feels to Be Free” by Nina Simone
“Do yourself a favor — look up Nina singing this live in 1976 and soak it up. She kills on the keys and that voice is otherworldly. It is absolutely one of the most inspired feminine powerful performances I’ve ever seen.”
“Burn” by Tove Styrke
“In this one, Tove gets something we all seem to go through at some point: relationship issues…But, with her all-encompassing girl power, she tells her man to BEAT IT. Yaaas take back your life, girl!”
