Ever thought to yourself: “damn, I wish there was a playlist to reflect the royal persona of the queen I was born to be?” Well, your prayers have been answered.
Chattr has teamed up DJ Victoria Anthony, who is all over the LGBTQ+ club scene in Sydney, to present you with the best playlists to boast your pride and lose your inhibitions. A little while ago, I had the honour of presenting you all with the top seven feminist bangers of our generation. It’s very fitting that I now present you with Queens of Pop, a playlist selected by Victoria herself.
This all-female list is the perfect soundtrack to a girls’ night out, night in, or for morning motivation as you pop your face on to start the day. These seven songs span over about 40 years of female power, and here’s my top picks:
Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Cindy Lauper
It almost seems too obvious that this is the first song on the list and also one of my faves. Released in 1985, this song still resonates with listeners today. The title and lyrics are just as relatable as they were 33 years ago: girls just want the freedom to have fun and be themselves. In a time when women are still being told to be responsible for their own safety, rather than men taking responsibility for their actions, maybe it’s time we reclaim Lauper’s lyrics to make a statement on the world we’re living in.
Man! I Feel Like a Woman – Shania Twain
You can claim you hate country music as much as you want, but as soon as that opening riff hits, you best believe you’ll spot your bestie across the bar and lock eyes for that perfectly timed “Let’s go girls.”
Single Ladies (Put a ring on it) – Beyoncé
You can’t have a Queens of Pop playlist without Queen B herself. Whether you’re shacked up and in love, recently dumped or a perpetual single gal, this tune will make you feel empowered and ready for a night out on the margaritas with the girls.
What You Waiting For? – Gwen Stefani
Does anyone else remember watching this video clip on Video Hits in the mornings? A weird fusion of Asian-pop X Alice in Wonderland featuring Gwen Stefani’s Motorolla flip-phone and iPod with a sticker on it? I guess 2004 was a simpler time. I’d honestly forgotten this song existed until I heard it on triple j, of all places, last Friday. This song is bound to get the blood pumping. If the tick-tock wasn’t enough, the beat itself is at a really good pace for someone who (like me) hates exercising, but needs a good consistent pace to run to.
Telephone – Lady GaGa and Beyoncé
Ladies! Whip out your pink iPod Nano and your slidy phone with the QWERTY keyboard, because we’re back in 2010. Up until this very moment, I’d never seen the video clip for Telephone. It’s long, extra and all over the place and the least you’d expect from a Gaga/Bey crossover, but it’s all about having a good night out with your girls. As Beyoncé said herself: ladies, leave your man at home. I’ll be starting a petition to have this song played in every club I enter from now on.
Whenever, Wherever – Shakira
This song has it all: pan-flutes, horses and Shakira in low-cut jeans. I think we can all agree, there’s something about this tune and “Hips Don’t Lie” that makes us all think we look as sexy as this Colombian queen when we dance to them. Any song that gives us that much confidence and empowerment is worth noting. Also, if Shakira belly dancing on mountains and rocks and crawling through mud hasn’t made you realise that sexuality is in face a spectrum, watch it again.
New Rules – Dua Lipa
This song is important for many reasons. It put into lyrics the conversations we have with ourselves and with our best friends when we or they keep going back to the same guy who treats us or them like shit. We can all admit to being fooled by the charm and false sense of security that comes with a casual fling, and I reckon a lot of guys got their arses dumped the morning after Dua Lipa graced our ears with these musical commandments. It’s unclear whether she knew she would become the saviour of many tired girls when “New Rules” was released, but the tweets speak for themselves.
Thank you Dua Lipa, for (dare I say) one-upping Beyoncé in the single-girl anthem game, by giving us a set of rules to live by and showing the power of the sisterhood.
Check out the full playlist by Victoria on Spotify, and keep on Queenin’ on.
