June is Black Music Appreciation Month, a time to celebrate the artists, innovators, storytellers and truth-tellers whose voices have shaped American culture and expanded our collective imagination.
Black women have always used music as more than entertainment. Through song, they have testified, resisted, healed, celebrated, challenged and dreamed. Long before social media gave us hashtags and hot takes, Black women were putting liberation into lyrics, offering anthems of self-worth, independence, joy and transformation.
The song celebrates ambition, confidence and the radical act of showing up fully as yourself. From Aretha to Beyoncé, these artists remind us that Black women’s music has always set the vibe. But above that, the songs carry affirmation, resistance, and a path to liberation. They tell us to demand respect. To value our labor. To reinvent ourselves. To speak up. To choose joy. To trust our own voices.
Today, we celebrate nine songs by Black women that continue to inspire confidence, courage and self-definition. Consider them liberation on repeat.
1. “Respect” — Aretha Franklin (1967)
Key lyric: “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.”
What began as a song written from a male perspective became a declaration of dignity in Aretha’s hands. “Respect” transformed into a powerful demand for recognition, not just from a partner, but from society itself. Decades later, it remains a timeless anthem for anyone insisting on being valued.
2. “I’m Coming Out” — Diana Ross (1980)
Key lyric: “I’m coming out, I want the world to know.”
At its core, this song is about visibility and authenticity. It encourages listeners to step fully into themselves and refuse to shrink for anyone else’s comfort. More than four decades later, it remains a soundtrack for personal liberation and self-expression.
3. “She Works Hard for the Money” — Donna Summer (1983)
Key lyric: “She works hard for the money. So you better treat her right!”
Inspired by a real-life encounter with a hardworking restroom attendant, Donna Summer’s hit honored women whose labor often goes unseen. The song celebrates perseverance and reminds us that working women deserve appreciation, protection, and economic justice.
4. “New Attitude” — Patti LaBelle (1984)
Key lyric: “I’m feeling good from my head to my shoes.”
Few songs capture reinvention quite like Patti’s exuberant anthem. “New Attitude” is about choosing growth, embracing possibility, and walking boldly into a new chapter. It reminds us that transformation often begins with mindset.
5. “U.N.I.T.Y.” — Queen Latifah (1993)
Key lyric: “Who you callin’ a bitch?”
Queen Latifah challenged misogyny, street harassment, and disrespect head-on. At a time when such conversations rarely occupied center stage, she demanded accountability while affirming the value and humanity of Black women. The message remains as relevant as ever.
6. “Doo Wop (That Thing)” — Lauryn Hill (1998)
Key lyric: “How you gon’ win when you ain’t right within?”
Lauryn Hill offered both critique and wisdom in this enduring classic. Rather than defining worth through appearance, status, or relationships, she urges listeners to cultivate self-respect and integrity. The song remains a master class in accountability and self-love.
7. “Get Ur Freak On” — Missy Elliott (2001)
Key lyric: “Get ur freak on.”
Missy Elliott broke rules, shattered expectations and created entirely new lanes for creativity. The song’s feminist power lies in its unapologetic confidence. Missy boldly expanded what Black women could sound, look, and move like in popular culture.
8. “Golden” — Jill Scott (2004)
Key lyric: “I’m taking my freedom, pulling it off the shelf.”
Joy is often overlooked as a form of resistance, but Jill Scott understood its power. “Golden” is a celebration of choosing oneself, embracing possibility and living fully. It reminds us that freedom is both political and personal.
9. “Flawless” — Beyoncé (2013)
Key lyric: “I woke up like this.”
With confidence, humor, and a sample from Nigerian writer and feminist thinker Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Beyoncé delivered a modern anthem of self-possession.
This Black Music Appreciation Month, create your own liberation playlist – songs that remind you who you are when the world tries to tell you otherwise; songs that lift you when you’re down and help you get your groove back.
Tracy Chiles McGhee is a multi-genre writer and Project Director for Unerased | Black Women Speak.
