Female artists have been writing and singing about sexism, double standards, female empowerment and, well, their lives for as long as country music has existed. In honor of International Women's Day, here are 15 country and Americana songs about female empowerment — each one a reminder of how much women's voices are needed on country radio.
"Redesigning Women," The Highwomen
The Highwomen's debut single, written by Natalie Hemby and Rodney Clawson, is an upbeat, unflinching and empowering look at womanhood.
"What Are You Gonna Tell Her," Mickey Guyton
Mickey Guyton's stunning "What Are You Gonna Tell Her" addresses sexism, racism and sexual harassment and sends a powerful message about stifling women's voices.
If you work hard, that's enough/ Skin's just skin and it doesn't matter/ And that her friend's older brother is gonna keep his hands to himself/ And that somebody's gonna believe her when she tells," Guyton sings. "But what are you gonna tell her when she's wrong?/ Will you just shrug and say 'It's been that way all along'/ What are you gonna tell her when she figures out/ That all this time you've built her up just so the world could let her down?"
"The Rebel Girl," Hazel Dickens
Bluegrass pioneer, folk singer and activist Hazel Dickens modernized this 1911 song, which became an anthem for women fighting alongside non-unionized miners for workers' rights. "The bosses know that they can't change her, she'd die to defend the workers' world," Dickens sings.
"I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again," Rose Maddox
There's no shortage of country songs about leaving behind domesticity for the single life. But when Rose Maddox recorded "Single Girl," about a woman who went searching for domestic bliss and came up short, it was a sentiment far ahead of its time. The 1960 recording, adapted from a classic folk song, was a message to women that marriage didn't have to be the goal.
"I Can't Do That Anymore," Faith Hill
Written by Alan Jackson, "I Can't Do That Anymore" follows a woman who quits her job and changes herself to please her husband. The song addresses the need for fulfillment and serves as a '90s country dismantling of sexism. Most epic lyric: "Now you're Mr. Successful and I'm queen of the treadmill, trying to stay the size you think that I should stay/I used to dream about what I would be/last night I dreamed about a washing machine."
"XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)," Trisha Yearwood
Nashville hitmaker Matraca Berg and acclaimed author and songwriter Alice Randall penned this ode to women navigating the world of "TV diet gurus" and corporate glass ceilings. When Trisha Yearwood recorded it in 1994, the song about a woman "tryin' to make it in her daddy's world" became an anthem.
"Good Ol' Boys Club," Kacey Musgraves
On this track from her 2015 album Pageant Material, Kacey Musgraves calls out the Music City power structure and celebrates her independent streak. Written by Musgraves, Natalie Hemby and Luke Laird, "Good Ol' Boys Club" is at once a jab at bro-country and an anthem for fighting the establishment from the outside.
"Rated X," Loretta Lynn
In her nearly 60-year career, Loretta Lynn has written frankly about Appalachian womanhood, singing about marriage, motherhood and living in poverty. In "Rated X," Lynn writes from the perspective of a divorced woman faced with sexist double standards and unwanted advances from married men. "If you go to far, you're gonna wear the scar of a woman rated 'X'," Lynn warns in this 1972 single.
Read More: 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' The Story Behind Shania Twain's Empowering Song
"What Part of No," Lorrie Morgan
Written by Wayne Perry and Gerald Smith, "What Part of No" was a smash hit for Lorrie Morgan in 1993. The song centers on an all too familiar scene of a woman alone in a bar, warding off unwanted advances from a man who can't (who won't) take a hint. Morgan doesn't mince words, coolly telling him she's just fine drinking alone.
"I don't need your company, I'm just here to unwind," Morgan sings. "I'm not interested in romance or what you had in mind."
"Sometimes it Takes Balls to Be a Woman," Elizabeth Cook
Elizabeth Cook's tongue-in-cheek 2007 single explains why underestimating a woman is always a bad idea. And being condescending to her? That's even worse.
"Softball," Caroline Spence
Caroline Spence's gorgeous and evocative "Softball" addresses gender discrimination, the pay gap and sexual harassment. ("When I'm done working, I wanna blow off steam and wear my best dress out/ but outside of my grass-stained jeans, they keep thinking that I'm asking for something I wasn't thinking about.")
"Pay Gap," Margo Price
A standout track on her fantastic album All American Made, Margo Price's "Pay Gap" addresses income inequality.
"Pay gap, pay gap, why don't you do you the math?" Price sings. "Pay gap, pay gap, ripping my dollars in half."
"Girl," Maren Morris
Maren Morris gets real on this 2019 song, a reminder of the strength in vulnerability.
"Just Because I'm a Woman," Dolly Parton
In this 1968 song, one of country music's most celebrated singer-songwriters, Dolly Parton, sings about the societal pressures women endure. With the line "a man will take a good girl and ruin her reputation, but when he wants to marry — that's a different situation," Parton upends an age old double standard as only she can.
"The Pill," Loretta Lynn
The most controversial song Loretta Lynn ever recorded, "The Pill" was released in 1975 and sang the praises of birth control. The song was revolutionary — not just for country music, but for the nation. "The Pill" envisioned a world where women were completely in control of their own lives and destinies. Many radio stations just flat out refused to play it. But it didn't matter. The song, written by Lynn, Lorene Allen, Don McHan and T.D. Bayless, remains one of the most powerful country songs about female empowerment.
Honorable Mentions:
"Man! I Feel Like a Woman," Shania Twain, "I'm A Survivor," Reba McEntire, "This One's For the Girls," Martina McBride, "Not Ready to Make Nice," The Chicks, "Follow Your Arrow," Kacey Musgraves, "Girl in a Country Song," Maddie & Tae, "Guys Do It All the Time," Mindy McCready, "Miss Me More," Kelsea Ballerini
Check out our playlist below.
This article was originally published in 2018. It was updated on March 8, 2022.
