Queue these up for International Women’s Day. All bangers, zero skips.

We are two days away from International Women’s Day, observed annually on 8 March. The global celebration traces its origins to German socialist and feminist Clara Zetkin, who first proposed the idea in 1910. Since then, the day has evolved from its earlier roots in the labour movement into a globally recognised observance promoted by the United Nations.

On this day, the spotlight is on women: their achievements, the empowering nature of feminist movements, and the rights they continue to fight for, from civil and social freedoms to reproductive rights, the vital roles they play at home and the often-overlooked work of motherhood and care. It’s a moment to celebrate and champion these issues everywhere.

But what’s a celebration without a soundtrack? Koktail has gathered five addictive pop songs that capture women’s struggles and triumphs in different ways. These chart-topping tunes celebrate women’s independence and self-confidence as well as moments of vulnerability and personal reflection. You might even find yourself curious to learn more about International Women’s Day.

1/5 WOMAN’S WORLD – Katy Perry

If you don’t think too much about it, Katy Perry’s WOMAN’S WORLD is a cheeky, fun dance anthem that declares this world – the world as we know it – is run by women, apparently taking the cue from Beyoncé. In the track, Perry showers women with over-the-top praise, calling them “superhuman” and “divine,” and likening them to both thorns and flowers.

“It’s a woman’s world

And you’re lucky to be living in it”

2/5 God Is A Woman – Ariana Grande

Taking the metaphor of divinity even further, Ariana Grande promises in God Is a Woman that by the end of it all, her lover will believe that God is, in fact, a woman, upending the usual power dynamic. Her impressively wide vocal range soars throughout the track, elevated by a heavenly chorus. It’s definitely an earworm that deserves to be replayed every now and then.

“And I can be all the things you told me not to be

When you try to come for me, I keep on flourishing’”

3/5 Busy Woman – Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter’s feminist pop is always subversive, often flirting with controversy. Her album Man’s Best Friend stirred plenty of online debate when its cover first dropped. The same energy runs through singles like Manchild, which pokes at masculinity at its most fragile. And in Busy Woman, the message is simple: she has no time for men who aren’t sure about her. In other words, stop wasting her time.

“I’m so mature, collected and sensible

Except when I get hit with rejection

To turn me down, well, that’s just unethical

I’ll turn into someone you’re scared to know”

4/5 The Life of a Showgirl – Taylor Swift ft. Sabrina Carpenter

Taylor Swift’s collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter is one of her most narrative-driven tracks. Appearing at the end of the album The Life of a Showgirl, the song plays with the classic “grass is greener on the other side” idea. Swift suggests that the lives of pop stars may not be as enviable as they seem; behind the glamour are struggles the public rarely sees.

“But you don’t know the life of a showgirl, babe

And you’re never ever gonna

Wait, the more you play, the more that you pay”

5/5 Shadow Of A Man – Lady Gaga

In this catchy electropop tune, Lady Gaga – with what some hear as a tribute to Michael Jackson – plays with the contrast between light and shadow. Gaga makes her stance clear: she refuses to live in a man’s shadow and would rather step into the spotlight herself. Let there be light, the diva sayeth, and let the light fall on women.

“I don’t wanna fade into the darkness tonight

Show me the light

I don’t wanna be the one to fall on the knife

To come alive”