The ICON Playlist

Track 2

pink diamond

by Charli XCX

Track 5

Deceptacon

by Le Tigre

Track 3

Material Girl

by Madonna

Track 6 Hold Up by Beyoncé

Track 8

All for You

by Janet Jackson

Track 11

America Has A Problem

by Beyonce

Track 9

It’s Like That

by Mariah Carey

Track 12 That Girl by Bree Runway

Track 1Gimme More by Britney Spears

Track 4

Bohemian Rhapsody

by Queen

Track 7

SAOKO

by ROSALIA

Track 10

Movies

by Weyes Blood

Track 13

Doo Wop (That Thing)

by Ms. Lauryn Hill

1Upon hearing the theme of the issue was ‘Icon’ and knowing that we would be making an Icon themed playlist, my head immediately rushed to the greats: Beyoncé (the greatest), Mariah, Madonna, Janet, and none other than the Princess of Pop herself Britney Spears. I had so many options to choose from in Britney’s catalog - do I go classic and pick a … Baby One More Time debut song? Oops!... I Did it Again’s red latex perfection? A tune from In the Zone where “Toxic” and “Me Against the Music” – a song where she held her own with a Madonna feature at 21?!? – shine? The/ my answer is Blackout’s “Gimme More.” I could write an entire dissertation on the sonic and visual experimentation of this era: she’d exchanged her trademark blonde for jet black hair on the album cover, made electro pop dance hits that would foreshadow the Eurodisco influence of late 2000s club hits, and was also experiencing highly publicized personal struggles while churning chart toppers. But to keep it short, no song introduction is more iconic than “It’s Britney Bitch.” Kelsey Ngante 2From Charli’s iconic quarantine album, How I’m Feeling Now, “pink diamond” is a other one of her beloved hyperpop anthems. “pink diamond” talks about the fun and intensity of being a star: having “a big heart,” going “real hard for days,” and so seriously questioning whether “the club [could] even handle us?” Inspired by a quarantine interview of JLo, who on air recalled discussing diamonds with Broadway and Hollywood icon, Barbara Streisand, Charli said she “instantly thought, ‘Pink Diamond is a very cute name for a song,’” later tweeting such on April 29th, 2020 (Genius). “pink diamond” is an anthem for all the stars, niche microcelebs, and main characters of the world. It’s a song that I would personally like to dance to in the club one day because it’s so fun and truly does go “real hard”- just as Charli intended it to. Marie Olmedo

3Madonna is one of history’s pop princesses who has left a long musical legacy and influenced the culture of feminism in pop media. She lives in a “material world,” a world dominated by capitalism, and consumer culture. She uses this song to satirize how American relationships are materialistic, money-driven, and often gender-skewed. Songs like “Material Girl” and “Like a Virgin” are iconic not only in their timeless popularity, but also in the way that Madonna has discussed different cultural problems and opened up new ideas about feminism and social theory that continue to be studied today and beyond. Amber Stevens

4As someone whose childhood was filled with nothing but Queen hits, nothing can be more iconic than “Bohemian Rhapsody” to me. Not only is it a timeless bop that I think is impossible to hate, it also evokes a sense of nostalgia and home to me. Every time I hear it play, I can’t help but be transported back to the time my sisters and I tried to make a music video for it with our sunglasses on, all of us sloppily air guitar-ing Brian May’s solo. It was the one song my entire family could agree upon despite our vast differences in music tastes. Not coincidentally, of course, “Bohemian Rhapsody”’s lyrics is also thick with queer subtext, which I think makes the song even more iconic than it already is. With its masterful fusion of different genres and its unmistakable beat, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is definitely a testament to Queen’s artistry and their ability to bring generations of people together. Tiffany Peverila

5An instantly recognizable hit for fans of the feminist rock sub-genre riot grrrl, “Deceptacon” by Le Tigre gets stuck in my head for days after I listen to it just once. Bumping my head to the shouted lyrics and beating instrumentals always gives me the boost of confidence I need before any important event, encapsulating an icon’s contagious sense of empowerment. Authentic representations of women as loud, angry, or discontented in media—without a seductive “femme fatale” persona or the demonized rage of a villain— are less common in the mainstream. So, in addition to the glamor and flamboyance almost synonymous with icons, Le Tigre’s charged passion defines an icon to me. “Deceptacon” also has a sense of quirkiness that continually reminds me that advocacy does not always have to be fear-driven and labored—after all, not every song can include both commentary on depoliticized mainstream feminism and the word “bompalompalomp.” Self-expressive and fun despite marginalization, remaining spirited under systems that seek to demoralize and undermine, “Deceptacon” represents the defiance and freedom fundamental to my idea of an icon.

Muryam Hasan

6What’s an icon playlist without Beyoncé? Her song “Hold Up” and the accompanying music video embodies Black feminine rage and frustration, urging viewers and listeners alike to challenge what their notion of feminism should look like. This album, “Lemonade” specifically is a reaction to her experience with Jay Z’s infidelity, and became an iconic display of how her emotions as a Black female artist should be empowered rather than seen as “imperfect feminism.” Beyoncé connects and empowers her audience in a cultural moment. Amber Stevens

7There are few things of 2022 that are truly more iconic than Rosaliá´s album Motomami. Debuting her new take on hyperpop as well as songs in her usual Latin Pop style, Rosalia simply does not play when it comes to making amazing pieces- “SAOKO” is no exception. Drawing from reggaeton influences, “SAOKO” is a song for icons by an icon. Its danceability and its consistently-solid-booming bass makes “SAOKO” one of my favorite songs of 2022. In the song’s chorus, Rosalia sings of transforming into a butterfly and “Sex Siren,” wearing gorgeous “Drag Queen” makeup, and simply being everything. And isn’t that what most icons are, simply everything?

Marie Olmedo

8“All for You” is a perfect pop song. I am of the strong opinion that all the great pop artists of today studied dutifully from Janet Academy with a major in Mother-ology. Everything about this song is iconic - it being almost 3 decades into her career and being a number one hit, the music video, the dance break… I have to give tens where tens are due! Kelsey Ngante

9Mariah Carey invented comebacks. I mean it. Mariah came back bigger and better than ever with her #1 album The Emancipation of Mimi. “It’s Like That” is the album opener and lead single that helmed in a record breaking era of chart topping and iconic music videos for Mariah Carey Kelsey Ngante

10This gorgeous indie soft-rock ballad is simply timeless. Weyes Blood has a voice reminiscent of 20th century silk as she sings of movies and being the star “you know you are.” If you love film or musical production so masterful that it sweeps you up into its magnificence like an ocean wave, you must listen to “Movies.” Maire Olmedo

11This song for me embodies the re ality of being an It Girl in an op pressive state. America has a prob lem, and I am the problem. The strength it takes to love yourself unconditionally, despite living in a body marked as deviant by society, is iconic. It feels like the bold queer black radical energy I try to embody in all my expression. Tia Barfield 12Bree Runway makes me feel like an undiscovered celebrity. The attitude, the pureraw-house energy emanating from the beat and her voice remind me that I have indeed been that girl. I don’t follow the trends, I am the trend, I am the aesthetic, the artistic drive to constantly reinvent myself and be unafraid to take up space and suck the the energy out of every room I walk into.

Tia Barfield

13Lauryn Hill is an undeniable landmark and absolute icon in music, R&B, and activism. Her creative melodies and the unmatched wisdom contained within her lyricism have earned the genius eight Grammys. Lauryn Hill has always been inspired to create music that would recognize the sacrifice of advocates before her and encourage her peers to live proudly because of it, according to a 2021 Rolling Stone interview. Her debut solo album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” explores her life, love, and religion within the context of her intersectional identities as a black woman and single mother. Even her most catchy tunes like Doo Wop (That Thing) convey messages of empowerment for women. Lauryn Hill’s unique ability to combine passion, advocacy, and artistry is why this song has earned a spot on this issue’s icon playlist. Leah Hartwell