All the single ladies' anthems

Girl anthems. Love 'em, hate 'em,  dance to 'em--you can't deny their brilliance.

There have been a lot of great female anthems in my life time. Before I continue, I think it's fare we define a female anthem. I was going to totally bullshit this part by creating my own definition, but I thought it might be worth actual research.

Here's what my friend Miriam has to say about anthem:

Pronunciation:

\ˈan(t)-thəm\
Function:
noun
1 a: a psalm or hymn sung antiphonally or responsively b: a sacred vocal composition with words usually from the Scriptures
2: a song or hymn of praise or gladness
3: a usually rousing popular song that typifies or is identified with a particular subculture, movement, or point of view

 

So, we could say that a female anthem is a pop song that sings praises of the vagina race and rouses up in its members a sense of price and empowerment.  A couple of the great ones that come to mind are:

Just a Girl, by No Doubt

Video, by India.Arie (a personal fav)

Independent Women, by Beyonce's Destiny's Child...

Actually, miss Sasha Fierce has put out a lot of good anthems recently, such as Me, Myself, and I; Irreplaceable; Ring the Alarm; If I were a Boy; the almighty Single Ladies and anything else jay-z some broke down njigga could give her inspiration for.

But isn't that what makes a great female anthem, really? 

I mean yeah, feminism is great and all but it always sounds better  in the form of gettin' in the ass of all the broke down, good for nothing, sorry ass scrubs in a lady's life (Chilly, T-boz, and Lefty always knew what was up).

From R-E-S-P-E-C-T, to Womanizer, to even Smell Yo Dick, there's nothing like a chick (who may or may not be able to sing) powning a good for nothing dude in a melody over a good, maybe addictivly catchy beat. With that being said, I think we can all agree that the number one female anthem just has to be Call Tyrone, by the great Erykah Badu.

Ms. Badu was a breath of fresh air for me as a young girl trying to figure out what she was suppose to be and, like every other girl in America, looking at media images of women to figure it out. It started out bad, because I had no chance of fitting any of the molds I was seeing, until Erykah showed me that things could be different: I could be Black but not a video hoe, sophisticated but still reppin', and have odd choices in hairstyles and still look cool(?) .

I digress. Call Tyrone is the shiznet, whether your chillin' on a friday night, hanging with the girls and hatin' on men, or just in the mood for a good female anthem, give it a listen. I leave the lyrics for your own enjoyment:

I'm getting tired of yo shit

you don't neva buy me nothing.

And every time you come around

you gotta bring Jim, James, Paul and Tyrone.

Now why can't we be by ourselves sometimes?

See I've been having this on my mind for a long time--

I just want it to be you and me like it use to be, baby

but you don't know how to act

so matter fact

I think you better call tyrone

(Call Him!)

And tell him come on 

help you get yo shit

(C'mon, c'mon, c'mon)

You need to call Tyrone

(call him!)

and tell him I said c'mon...

Now every time I ask you for a little cash

you say no but turn right around and ask me for some ass.

Ho! Now hold up listen partner I ain't no cheap thrill

cus Ms. Badu's always coming fo'real

you know the deal

nigga.

Every time we go some where

I got to reach down in my purse

to pay your way and your home boy's way

and sometimes your cousin's way.

When we all went out to eat

you made me ride in the back seat

and that ain't right child.

That ain't right child.

You need to call Tyrone

(call him!)

and tell him come on help you get yo shit.

You need to call Tyrone

(Call him)

But you can't use my phone.

Take my pills, pay my bills, I'm here to let you know

that what I feel is real.

Day to day life with you is no thrill.

It's getting late

no time to hesitate

you need to go home so I can meditate.

Om....

Om.....

Lite my cone, sing my song

I don't give a damn if I'm right or wrong.

Day or night

wrong or right

Tell your boys to find anotha place to watch the fight.

Don't make me go get Big Mike.

So tell yo boys at the liquor store

that you gonna need a place to go

I don't care but you gotsta leave

you can tell 'em you broke up with me

I wanted you to massage my toes

but you'd rather play dominoes

So baby get up off yo knees and hands

and gone and tell it to the preacher man.

But first I think you need to call Tyrone

(call him!)

and tell him c'mon help you get yo shit.

You need to call Tyrone

(call him!)

Hold up--but you can't use my phone.

If nothing else, give us a Dolce & Gabbana ad to look at. Let men become over sexualized objects for once.