Patriarchy, Meet My Playlist - 26 Feminist Songs That Hit Hard

Fuel your fight against injustice with a fierce playlist of feminist and anti-fascist anthems designed to inspire resilience and empowerment.

These next four years are going to be tough.

Millions of people will fight to survive this era, and it frustrates me to see many people offering comfort to the rightfully frightened with, “You’re likely going to survive this.” What if you’re a member of a targeted group and your chances of survival are more slim? Where can you find comfort?

I have found it in music.

My playlist is angry. It serves the dual purpose of releasing stress and mentally preparing for the upcoming political battles. This will be a marathon, not a sprint, so a self-care routine is essential to our success. Our best weapons against fascism are our voices and our creative minds; we must take care of them. This is an oxygen-on-a-plane situation. Put your oxygen mask on before helping someone else put theirs on.

I’m sharing this playlist in the hopes that you will find an anthem to help you get through the tough times and inspire you when things feel grim. And it’s a good reminder that there are people out there who share your views, who are fighting alongside you for a better future.

Some notes about this playlist:

• Some of the songs share the same name, but none share the same lyrics. Don’t skip a single track! You might miss out on your next favorite song.

• If you like one track from any of these artists, there’s a good chance you’ll like their entire music catalog. Picking just one song from each artist was so difficult that sometimes I included two.

The Feminist Playlist You’ve Needed

EmiSunshine - Dead Men Can’t Catcall

I’m starting with this song to ease you into the playlist. This is the gentlest-sounding song on the list, but the lyrics aren’t fluffy or insipid. They get to the point.

I find myself humming this song as I go about it my day; it’s incredibly catchy.

**Warning: from 1:50 to 2:30 there are some flashing colors in the music video, which may be problematic if you are photosensitive.**

Doll Skin - Puncha Nazi

EmiSunshine’s “Dead Men Can’t Catcall” was a good warmup. Now it’s time to get your blood pumping.

Doll Skin is a band I listen to incessantly, and if you like this song you’ll probably enjoy the rest of their catalogue.

The Linda Lindas - No Obligation

I LOVE the Linda Lindas, but you probably already knew that. I have mad respect for this troupe of instrument-wielding teenagers. And their latest album is a work of art. “No Obligation” is probably my favorite track from the album bearing its name.

Again, if you love one song from this band, there’s a good chance you’ll like a lot of their other music. Each of the band members writes, and you can tell who wrote the song by the vibe it gives off, but they mesh so well together.

CHINCHILLA - Little Girl Gone

The music video for this song is fun; I find something new to appreciate about it every time I watch.

“Little Girl Gone” is hella catchy, and always pumps me up. I tried to limit this playlist to songs that haven’t been streamed more than a million times, but it’s just too much fun not to add this to the list.

PUSSYLIQUOR - MY BODY. MY CHOICE.

I think the music video is fun. I love the punk sound and lyrics. Overall, I think this song is underrated.

Warning: You will get mooned.

The Interrupters - Take Back The Power

What can I say about The Interrupters? They’re a fantastic band, but ‘Take Back the Power’ is a banger. I love singing along whenever it plays.

Delilah Bon - Dead Men Don’t Rape

This might be one of my favorite songs by Delilah Bon. If you’ve been on the hunt for a dedicated feminist musician who can help you channel your feminist rage, then may I introduce you to Delilah Bon?

Cheap Perfume - It’s Okay To Punch Nazis

The last few songs were very high-energy, so if you’ve been dancing along you probably could use something a little more mellow. But only a little more mellow. This song should do the trick.

ILUKA - Cry Evil

I recently discovered this song, and I knew I needed to include it in this playlist. Let me know if you think this was a good addition to the playlist.

The Shiverettes - Dead Men Can’t Catcall

Someday, some man is going to catcall me and this is the song I’m going to sing in response.

Ashnikko ft. Kodie Shane - Invitation

I love Ashnikko and have for a while. This song isn’t quite a feminist anthem, but I felt like I needed to include at least one Ashnikko song to this list.

The Menstrual Cramps - Body Politics

This song and music video are fun on top of being highly relevant.

Bishop Briggs - Revolution

Bishop Briggs has some killer songs, and this one of them. Welcome to my revolution.

Naïka - My Body, My Choice

Okay, okay, I know you have probably heard this song or watched the YouTube video because it’s been so popular, but I couldn’t NOT include this song.

Shout Your Abortion - Thank God For Abortion Anthem

If anyone ever doubts your stance on abortion, send them this song and they'll have no doubts.

Demi Lovato - Swine

If you need some righteous anger to fuel you, then Demi’s song, Swine is a heavy hitter.

Fea - Feminazi

Another song I love, and I love how informative the music video is. It’s also a great way to learn how to say, “I am a feminist” in a handful of languages.

The Menstrual Cramps - Abortion

Yes, I know, I already included a Menstrual Cramps song. But it’s really the fault of the band, because if their music wasn’t so relevant and catchy, I wouldn’t have to include them in this playlist more than once!

Hoity-Toity - Over It

I love Hoity-Toity. They’re one of my current favorite bands to listen to, and I’ve been listening to their music non-stop. ‘Over It’ is a great song when you’re tired of listening to men’s misogyny.

TRAP GIRL - Dead Men Don’t Rape

When the urge to murder evil men clashes with the urge to not go to jail, we have this song from TRAP GIRL. Thank you

Haley Spence

for the description.

YONAKA - Seize the Power

As I’ve seen repeated over and over on the internet, it may feel like people with bad intentions have all the power. The truth, however, is that we are numerous and have the strength to take the power back. This song is a good reminder of that.

Delilah Bon - I Don’t Listen To You

There are men out there who want to control women. There are certain people in politics who believe men should control women. This song is for them.

Bad Cop/Bad Cop - Womanarchist

This song was talking about the same guy we’re stuck with now. I hate that it’s so relevant. But it’s a great song.

Delilah Bon Ft. ALT BLK ERA - WITCH

If it wasn’t clear, yet, I’m a huge Delilah Bon fan. I don’t think she has a single ‘meh’ song. And in this particular song, she teams up with a musical duo that I also really like, ALT BLK ERA.

7 Year Bitch - Dead Men Don’t Rape

This song is over 30 years old, and I know many people haven’t heard it yet or heard it in a long time, so I felt it was essential to include.

Riot Grrrl Sessions - Terror Grrrls

This entire album is a banger, but I’ve already included one of my other favorites in one of these lists before, so I *had* to listen to the entire album in order to pick which song would join this playlist.

The Muslims - Fuck These Fuckin Fascists

I wanted to end this playlist on a high note, and what better than The Muslims’ song “Fuck These Fuckin Fascists”. It’s age-restricted, so you’ll have to watch on YouTube itself.

Final Thoughts

Let me know what your favorite song from this playlist was.

And please, if you liked this post, share it with a friend or two.