Female- & Body-Positive Music : Body Image Songs
See Also
India Arie - Video
India Arie - I Am Not My Hair (Live)
India Arie
India Arie broke the mould with her debut single, "Video." Shattering the stereotypes of female R&B singers, she unabashedly proclaimed:
Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't
Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won't
Depending how the wind blows I might even paint my toes
It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul
---full lyrics here
The success of her first album by no means corrupted India. Her second album did moderately well, but she came back with a vengeance for Testimony: Vol 1, Life and Relationships, thanks to a powerful song called "I Am Not My Hair."
Buy India
Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On
Corinne Bailey Rae
This young British songstress burst onto the music scene with the easy-going, "Girl Put Your Records On." The video (shown at right) is remarkably simple and free of booty-dancing and sex scenes. Corinne herself always looks fresh and natural, emphasizing her music over herself. And, reading her lyrics, you can see they speak for themselves.
Le Tigre - Keep on Livin'
Le Tigre
Le Tigre is well-known for their politically poignant lyrics. Along with artists like Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill, Le Tigre offers gutsy riot grrl music that's sure to get you pumped to face the world. Sometimes the lyrics can get lost, but one of my favorite passages comes from the song, "Keep on Livin'," which talks about experiencing your body, rather than dissecting it.
Christina Aguilera - Beautiful
Christina Aguilera
Buy Christina
P!nk - There You Go
P!nk
Buy P!nk
Beyonce - Listen (Dreamgirls Soundtrack)
Dreamgirls
Buy the Soundtrack
Keep in Mind...
Man does not live by bread alone... and neither does woman on music. Changing what you listen to can be a positive step in improving your self-esteem and body image, but it's only part of a larger problem. If you haven't already, check out some of the other resources I've provided on body image (listed below), and try to implement a series of small changes in your every day life, in what you read, watch, say, and do. The problem isn't one-sided, and neither is the solution.
More on Body Image
- How Bad Is Your Body Image?
How bad is your body image? Read on to find out. - A Practical Guide to Improving Your Body Image
The key to feeling better about yourself is not to change your body, as the diet industry would have you believe, but rather to change the way you feel about your body. - Western Standards of Beauty: An Illustrated Timeline
This timeline is an illustrated journey through the last 600 years, from the portraits of the European Renaissance to red-carpet photos of modern celebrities. - Retouched: The True Face of Hollywood
Gallery of before/after photos of celebrities and models, pre- and post- retouching. - How Crash Diets Burn Off Your Self-Esteem
A new study proves that dieting is not only ineffective, it is actually counterproductive.