Female rage, a seemingly newly trending term thanks to the wonders of social media, has actually been a topic in artistic expression for years. It is a way to celebrate female emotions, rather than critique and cast them aside – which has been the normal response since like, forever ago. Contemporary female rage portrayals are all the rage right now. Think Mia Goth in literally anything she has ever starred in, the prom scene in the 1976 film “Carrie,” or even this 1866 painting by Auguste Toulmouche titled “The Reluctant Bride.”
The same hype can be found in the music industry. Countless songs have perfectly captured what it means to be a woman who feels angry, vexed, and bitter – really, the girls who get it get it. A very important point to make is that there is a difference between the “feminine rage” subgenre and the beloved “sad girl music.” Granted, there is a bit of overlap, but in general, we are not talking about songs you typically rot in bed to. In a nutshell, female rage music makes you want to grab a baseball bat and smash some car windows (cue Beyoncé’s “Hold Up” music video!)
So, without further ado, here is a non-exhaustive list of songs that really anyone can scream along to and go batsh*t insane. You should try it. It’s really cathartic.
Fiona Apple’s 1999 album When the Pawn… is a quintessential female rage album. “Get Gone” from the album perfectly portrays what it feels like to finally give up on someone after being done dirty one too many times. The song has the perfect mixture of slower, more somber verses with a hard-hitting chorus that will itch a certain spot in the brain.
Say it with me, “Beyoncé is my favorite rock star!” This song is the perfect amount of heaviness, from Jack White’s killer guitar skills to Beyoncé screaming “who the fuck do you think I am?” Just like the aforementioned When the Pawn, Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade is a must to listen to when you’ve been left scorn after a failed relationship. Seriously, I will never understand how Jay-Z got a second chance…
“Dole Parts” was a single from the band’s 1994 album Live Through This and details the insecurities a woman can face in a world run by looks. The chorus contains the same phrase repeated over and over again: “Someday you will ache like I ache.” Courtney Love wrote it about her relationship with Kurt Cobain. According to Love, “ I wrote in 20 minutes in a girl named Joyce’s bathroom in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I had to write most of the lyrics on my arm in sharpie as I ran out of paper.”
Although most songs in this category contain heavy vocals and instrumentals, “You Suck” is a shining example of a lighter acoustic song with a similar punch. The song was released as a single for their self-titled second studio album. In all honesty, the reason why I dig this song so much is because of this 1995 review from the Chicago Tribune: “these two obnoxious, petulant, fluorescent-haired young women have turned whining into an art form.” Women whining 4ever!!!
Okay, so I know that I said that sad girl music and female rage music don’t overlap, but this is an exception to that rule. “Dealer” comes from the underhyped 2021 album Blue Banisters and arguably contains some of Del Rey’s best vocal performances. The song acts as a conversation between an avoidant man and an exhausted woman. The best lyrics to scream from this song come from the chorus: “I don’t wanna live/ I don’t wanna give you nothing/ ‘Cause you never give me nothing back/Why can’t you be good for something?/ Not one shirt off your back.”
Thank you, L7, for giving us the idea to keep a record of everyone who has ever wronged us – queue up the notes app! From the all-female rock group’s 1992 album Bricks Are Heavy, this song is for the girlies who can (understandable) never let things go. Other rageful highlights from this album include “Pretend We’re Dead” and “Mr. Integrity.”
This tune goes out to every girl who has been screwed over by someone in a band! “Backstabber” is from the group’s 2006 album Yes, Virginia… and describes a woman who feels manipulated and deceived. If you’re feeling uninspired, it also includes just about every mean/silly name you could call someone, from “off brusher” to “greedy little fit haver.” Yeah, we all know one of those…
As the title suggests, this song unveils how tiresome destructive tendencies can be. From their 2020 All Change EP, the group Francis of Delirium perfectly captures the exhaustive feelings behind “fucking around.” Whether it’s directed towards yourself or another person, this is a great song to scream in the car to (yes, I have done it!)
The opening chant “Are you always going to be hanging around?” says it all. The song from the group’s 2021 album Calm Down includes that signature gritty sound that a lot of these tunes possess, with haunting vocals from lead singer Sabrina Fuentes.
New female rage song alert! MP’s new album I Got Heaven was released on March 1st and is full of tunes to listen to when you have! had!! enough!!! The titular song is the most fitting, with a stellar vocal performance from Missy Dabice. She growls about feeling spiteful vengeful, lonely, and full of grief – all emotions that many a female rage connoisseur has felt.