Best Songs About Self-Love and Confidence

The classics

"Respect," Aretha Franklin (1967). Otis Redding wrote and recorded it first, as a man asking for respect at home. Franklin flipped the perspective, added the spelled-out "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" and the "sock it to me" backing vocals with her sisters, and turned it into a demand. It topped the US charts and won two Grammys.

"I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor (1978). Written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris and first released as a B-side, it became a US number one in 1979 and won the only Grammy ever given for Best Disco Recording. The original post-breakup anthem.

Self-acceptance

"Beautiful," Christina Aguilera (2002). Written by Linda Perry, from the album Stripped. A spare piano ballad about refusing to let other people's words define you, and it won Aguilera a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

"Scars to Your Beautiful," Alessia Cara (2016). From her debut album Know-It-All. It's about the pressure of beauty standards, and it reached the US top ten in 2017. Cara won the Grammy for Best New Artist the following year.

"Born This Way," Lady Gaga (2011). A pounding dance-pop anthem about being who you are, especially for LGBTQ listeners. It debuted at number one in the US.

Instant pick-me-ups

"Good as Hell," Lizzo (2016). A brassy hype song about walking away from someone who doesn't value you. It took three years to catch on, then reached the US top three in 2019.

"Roar," Katy Perry (2013). About finding your voice after staying quiet to keep the peace. A US number one and one of the most-played confidence songs of the 2010s.

"Fight Song," Rachel Platten (2015). An earnest, building anthem about resilience. Some find it too on the nose, but it reached the US top ten and is a staple of graduation and fundraising playlists.

"Unwritten," Natasha Bedingfield (2004). About the future being yours to write. Best known as the theme of The Hills, and it found a new audience after featuring in the 2023 film Anyone but You.

Quiet and hard-won

"Praying," Kesha (2017). Her first single after years of legal battles with her former producer. A piano ballad that builds to a huge high note, about surviving something painful and choosing to move on. It was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance at the Grammys.

Our verdict

For a single play, "Respect" still does more in two and a half minutes than anything else here. For a quieter moment, "Beautiful"; for getting ready to go out, "Good as Hell."

Frequently asked questions

What's a good song about body image? "Scars to Your Beautiful" by Alessia Cara, about the pressure of beauty standards, or Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful."

What's a good confidence song before an interview or big event? Something upbeat: "Good as Hell" by Lizzo, "Roar" by Katy Perry or "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten.

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