Alpha

“You can kiss a hundred boys in bars,” Chappell Roan sings on “Good Luck, Babe!”. “Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling.” The synthy track sees the rising pop star look back on a former lover who couldn’t—and may never—come to terms with their own queerness, and pushed Roan away in the process. “When you think about me, all of those years ago, you’re standing face to face with ‘I told you so,’” she later sings, imagining a future where her ex is married to a man and “nothing more than his wife.” Refusing to accept your own identity can be tough on those trying to love you—and themselves. Roan’s ex may never find true happiness, but Roan, bitter as she may be, knew when it was time to sashay away, head held high. It’s why the defiant track leads Alpha right now, a space for redefining the meaning of a woman’s power. Many of the extraordinary artists on this playlist are, indeed, history-makers and game-changers. But Alpha’s more than that. These songs touch on every facet of what womanhood might look and feel like, to one woman—or many. Here, you’ll find love and intimacy, hope and validation, intensity and rawness. It’s a place for starting conversations, uplifting one another and challenging notions through the simple matter of being. Now, that’s real power. Check back often, as we regularly update this playlist. If you hear a song that gives you power, add it to your library.