Best bops for Women’s History Month


H.E.R performing on stage
H.E.R. performs at Lollapalooza in Chicago, IL on August 1, 2019.

Although Women’s History Month is close to an end, the celebration of women should continue past the 31 days of the month. What better way to celebrate than listening to music and recognizing the talented women that grace your favorite Spotify playlists. While it’s totally understandable to stay within the comforts of the songs you know, you may find joy in discovering a new tune to put on repeat.  

If you’re scrolling through your songs and notice that you listen to mostly male artists or want to dive deeper into hidden gems, these are the recommendations for you. Here are seven underrated songs by women for you to listen to right now. 

“First Train Home” by Imogen Heap

While you may be a stranger to this song and Imogen Heap, you have likely heard Heap’s most listened to song on Spotify, “Hide and Seek,” or at least recognize the iconic line “Mm, what’d you say?” which is used in both her song and Jason Derulo’s 2010 hit “Whatcha Say.” Heap’s unique voice and vivid lyrics are present in “First Train Home,” the first track on her third album, “Ellipse.” This song shows storytelling at its finest, and it perfectly captures the sentiment of feeling out of place and wanting to go back to somewhere you understand. 

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, Heap also composed the music for the play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” which is a combination of new music and her older songs reworked for the score. In fact, the opening track includes elements from “First Train Home.” 

“Drop The Pilot” by Joan Armatrading 

If you are a fan of 80s’ rock, give Joan Armatrading’s song “Drop the Pilot” a listen. Released as the third track off of her eighth studio album “The Key,” “Drop the Pilot” is a true treasure and testament to the electric feel of 80s’ music. This repeat-worthy song will have you for your crush to ditch their partner and recognize that you’re clearly the better option for them. 

Armatrading has paved the way for many in the music industry as a Black women guitarist after she got her start in rock ‘n’ roll in the 70s’. Now at 71 years old, she has released 20 studio albums and even engineered and played all of the instruments on her most recent album “Consequences.” “Drop the Pilot” is a great song to start with if you haven’t heard her music. Who knows? She may be your new favorite artist.

“I’m Dreamin’ a Dream” by Norma Tanega 

Norma Tangea’s sweet and mesmerizing song “I’m Dreamin’ a Dream” is quite different from “Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog,” the song that got her famous. This is the eighth track on her first album, “Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog.” The song that shares this album’s title was the only song that became a hit during Tangea’s life, featuring oddball lyrics and Tangea playing the harmonica. 

“I’m Dreamin’ a Dream” shows Tangea’s range and talent to write a peaceful romantic song while maintaining her distinctive take on songwriting that she displays her other songs. What better way to celebrate women than by listening to a truly unique and very special artist.

“Someday We’ll Linger in the Sun” by Gaelynn Lea 

If you like folk music, you will love Gaelynn Lea’s heartbreaking song “Someday We’ll Linger in the Sun.” Unfortunately, even though this is her number one song on Spotify, it isn’t getting nearly as much recognition as it deserves. Lea is truly a marvelous lyricist/violinist, and this song shows off her talents to the fullest extent. Out of more than 6,000 entries, Lea won NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2016 for her performance of this song, which eventually became track seven on her 2018 album “Learning How to Stay.”

Outside of music, Lea advocates for disability rights for artists and the arts as a whole. For all of the theater fans out there, Lea is also currently composing the music for Broadway’s revival of “Macbeth,” which opens this year and will have a limited run of 15 weeks. Lea’s talent is finally being recognized, and you certainly don’t want to miss her making her mark on the music industry.  

“Jungle” by H.E.R.

If you are looking for a song to blast with your headphones on, look no further than H.E.R.’s song “Jungle.” This song is 5 minutes of perfection, making you feel like time is slowing down as you are completely absorbed in the sound. “Jungle” is track 12 on the 21 track album titled “H.E.R.” released in 2017. 

At 23 years old, H.E.R. had already won an Oscar for her original song “Fight For You,” which she sang and co-wrote for the 2021 film “Judas and the Black Messiah.” H.E.R.’s accomplishments continue to grow and impress, receiving 21 Grammy Nominations and 4 wins at just 24 years old. 

It’s no secret that women are powerful and talented musicians changing the music industry for the better. So add these songs to your queue or your next playlist and jam out to these underappreciated, should-have-been-hit songs as you celebrate during the final week of Women’s History Month.