Hillary Clinton’s campaign recently released a “girl power” Spotify playlist of uptempo feminist jams and power ballads by female artists. Ever wonder what our prospective next president wants us to think she listens to while she’s getting ready for Thirsty Thursday or a fraught political negotiation? Whitney Houston, Jill Scott, and the Dixie Chicks made the list, plus a few contemporary pop queens like Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, and—because Clinton does not want to lose the 2016 election this early in the race—Beyoncé. Here, Double X humbly submits a few additions.
Bikini Kill, “Resist Psychic Death”
“There’s more than two ways of thinking /There’s more than one way of knowing,” scream-sings Kathleen Hanna on this quick-and-dirty riot grrrl track. The attitude that would bode well for a candidate who hopes to reach out of the mosh pit and across the aisle to lead beyond party lines. Psychic death is a good thing for elected leaders to resist, too.
Shania Twain, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman”
Twain’s going-out anthem promises that she “ain’t gonna act politically correct,” which would make Clinton seem a little bit like a maverick, a concept that appears to resonate with voters. The reference to men’s shirts, if not short skirts, seems apt for a public figure who’s made a name for herself as a pantsuit icon.
Girlpool, “Blah Blah Blah”
With just a stilted guitar and a four-note bassline, this duo ekes out an effective dismissal of an annoying cad. The verses are beside the point: Clinton should take note of the chorus as good debate-prep: “I hear you talking like, ‘blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah.’”
Robyn, “Who’s That Girl?”
Though the lyrics might ring problematic for a would-be president (“I just can’t deal with the rules /I can’t take the pressure”), Robyn’s 2008 song is an infectious examination of unrealistic standards for women’s looks and behavior.
Beyoncé, “Why Don’t You Love Me?”
Clinton has a predictable pick from Queen Bey, “Run the World (Girls),” but she could add a song that mocks all those pollsters who claimed she wasn’t “likeable” enough to be president. “Why Don’t You Love Me?” comes with a perfect existential question for Clinton not to ponder on the campaign trail (“Why don’t you love me, when I make me so damn easy to love?”) and one of Beyoncé’s best videos, a cheeky send-up of mid-century femininity.
Gretchen Wilson, “Redneck Woman”
If Clinton wants to get anywhere in the South, she could take a few pointers from this unapologetically uncultured country tune: “I say ‘hey y’all’ and ‘yee-haw’ /And I keep my Christmas lights on on my front porch all year long /And I know all the words to every Charlie Daniels song.”
Angel Haze, “Werkin’ Girls”
This decidedly NSFW rap has plenty of commander in chief–worthy braggadocio: “I did what I say I did /Did not fabricate one bit /I have been the fucking realest since my exit near the clit.” Those are some smart talking points on Benghazi, emailgate, or any other B.S. Clinton scandal that pops up in the next year.
