RAGE RADIO RAGE RADIO RAGE RADIO

2Army of Me by Bjork

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Amber Stevens

SZA’s sophomore album SOS features another deeply vulnerable tracklist, but delves into a more fresh and relentless emotion than her debut: rage. In “Kill Bill,” SZA uses lyrics: “I might kill my ex, not the best idea/His new girlfriend’s next, how’d I get here?” in order to express her pent up anger and feelings of jealousy. Debuting at #1 on the Billboard Global 200, “Kill Bill”’s raw emotion touched millions world wide, as people related to SZA’s feelings of delusion and wrath in the aftermath of a traumatic relationship. Tapping into her own ego, “Kill Bill” delivers realness and rage in a way that is unforeseen.

Bjork takes no prisoners. “Army of Me,” the debut single from her second solo album, Post, is filled with a cold, alienating, and unforgiving kind of a rage. There’s no fire and fury behind Bjork’s chant-like chorus—“If you complain once more, you’ll meet an army of me”—just nuclear-winter-cold frustration and disappointment. The heavy drums, bass, and synth are industrial, impersonal, harsh, and powerful. This track makes you feel that power, the magnitude and bitter strength that you feel in those moments where you’re just overwhelmed, overloaded, brimming with anger. As Bjork herself put it, “I’m a polar bear and I’m with five hundred polar bears, just tramping over a city.”

Elsa Servantez

Under the Table by Fiona Apple

Apple’s “Under the Table” details how her dinner date “says something that makes [her] start to simmer” and that they can “kick [her] under the table all [they] want, [but she] won’t shut up.” Fed up with condescending tones and biting her tongue, Apple calls out her date and the patriarchy for limiting her power to feel angry and say something about it! The witful language and metaphors within the song reverses outdated gender norms subverts the power dynamic. Apple empowers listeners to speak their truth and their rage, as nothing, even “that fancy wine won’t put this fire out.”

Amber Stevens

4 Brand New City by

Mitski

The third track on Mitski’s debut album, Lush, “Brand New City” introduces a passionate anthem of rage. Perhaps the most iconic lyrics of the song, “But if I gave up on being pretty, I wouldn’t know how to be alive,” resonates with many women. I’m sure we all know how it feels to have so much of our worth placed on our looks and our youth. Mitski verbalizes these feelings over a crunchy guitar and drums; a different sound from her usual acoustic guitar and piano. “Brand New City” encapsulates the fear of aging and ugliness that has been impressed upon women since they were girls, portraying the rage that most of us feel for having to live in a world like this.

5 Differences

by Baby Tate

Emily Haddad

What does it mean to be That Bitch? A question that many successful and talented women may ask themselves is answered by rapper Baby Tate in her song Differences. On the surface, the track is about how Tate knows she is better than others who try to compare themselves to her. Her post-chorus addresses these wannabes with the statement “Bitch look at you, look at me, I know that you see the difference”. However, on a deeper level, her excessive pride is just an enraged expression of her confidence.

Tate’s lyrics speak to a self-assurance that others try to tear down out of envy, self-consciousness, or bigotry and remind you that their comments should not bring you down to their level but instead reinforce your own self-worth. Women and especially WOC people are constantly scorned for their confidence, but in the face of negativity, Tate responds with unshaken pride in her career, her blackness, and her ownership over her body. Though you can’t be on Baby Tate’s level, this song invites you to not give a fuck and be That Bitch proudly.

Leah Hartwell

Not Nice by Megan Thee Stallion

Not Nice is featured on Megan Thee Stallions’ latest album Traumazine which largely discusses her struggle as a black woman after her assault from Tory Lanez and the attacks she received from the media and rap community following. This particular song speaks on the experience of women of color who have been exhausted of their kindness and struggle to be respected by others. Megan opens the song by talking about an unnamed person who she once took care of but did her wrong then explains how her skin color, dialect, and body type make others “not give a fuck” about her. After all she has been through, she takes her time to read everyone for filth and warn them that she is done being nice. Her song is both one of rage for everything and everyone who has made her so bitter but also empowerment that she won’t let others take advantage of her again. Megan Thee Stallion is a living example of “the best revenge is massive success.”

Bust Your Windows

by Jazmine Sullivan

Leah Hartwell

NDA by Megan thee Stallion

NDA by Megan thee stallion is the perfect song for this addition, because it is a song about resilience, and standing up for yourself at all costs. Black women know all too well the ways we are limited by stereotypes, held to impossible standards and shamed for our sexuality and the media’s response to Megan thee Stallions trauma is emblematic of this. In the end though she got her justice, from not only Tory Lanez, but also those who tore her down at her lowest. In the words of Megan “You gon’ have to pay me forever trying to be corny”

Alexus Torres

Off of her debut album Fearless, Sullivan encompasses the perfection of rage and just how sweet revenge is. Accompanied with emotional violins and a rhythmic percussion, Sullivan uses amazing vocals to express the anger of finding out your significant other is unfaithful. Sullivan, refusing to wallow in her misery, decides that it is time to take direct action and “bust the windows out your car.” As Sullivan explains, even though the satisfaction of physically expressing rage only lasted a little bit, it sure does make us smile.

Tia Barfield

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Smack a Bitch by Rico

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Nasty

I have to include this song in the playlist, because this song was my introduction to black women in the alt rock scene. This song is iconic and represents the artistic beauty of Black fem rage. Of all people on this Earth, black women have the most valid reasons to be angry, and yet our rage is the most vilified. This song allows me to tap into that part of myself. Tia Barfield

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Boyish by Japanese Breakfast

“Boyish” from Japanese Breakfast’s 2017 album Soft Sounds from Another Planet is a sullen tale of the quiet rage a girl can feel when they don’t fit the beauty standards of men. Zauner writes this song to her male lover, who seems to only make Zauner feel worse and unimportant, despite how intense her feelings of adoration are for him.

Marie Olmedo

11Underrated Popstar by Alice Longyu Gao

“Underrated Popstar” is a loud diss to all the haters. Alice tells of the difficulties of starting off in the industry, and how enraging all the pressure of stardom can be in this fast-paced hyperpop song. Marie Olmedo

Rid of Me by PJ Harvey

This song from PJ Harvey’s 1993 album Rid of Me comes from an era in which women took the reigns of punk and grunge. “Rid of Me” is a striking portrayal of toxicity and jealousy that can manifest in a relationship. Its a song that goes from creeping and moody to full of revenge and rage is seconds, and the thrill of it is something you must experience. Marie

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Olmedo

Boys a liar Pt. 2 by Pinkpantress (ft. Ice Spice)

This song is my anthem, and a long awaited collab between two of 2023’s favorite singers and public figures. Pinkpanthress once again gives us a sweet song about annoying boys, this time with Ice Spice adding her own vexations with “sneaky” guys. “Boys a liar Pt. 2” is about the age-old tale about the duplicity of men and the frustrating aftermath of not feeling “good enough” that women tend to feel when dating men.