Dear Pop Star…thanks for the inspiration!

At MEDIAGIRLS, we teach our participants to deconstruct song lyrics and music videos to better understand how music influences the way we think about ourselves. We recently asked our MEDIAGIRLS’ participants what popular songs they like or dislike based on the song’s message to girls and women. We then provided the girls with the necessary tools and tips to write a letter to a musician of their choosing expressing their approval or disapproval for the artist’s song. Our girls in the Brookline Girl Scout Troop— a MEDIAGIRLS’ partner site– used this opportunity to highlight songs portraying fierce and independent women. From Katy Perry’s “Roar” to Pink’s “Just like Fire,” our girls in the Brookline Girl Scout Troop are showing that pop music can be both succesful and empowering. To ensure that our girls’ amazing work is seen, MEDIAGIRLS will be tagging these artists on Twitter!

Hey Renée Elise Goldsberry,

What I think is really cool about you is that you are both Angelica Schuyler and Renee Elise Goldsberry, but when you play Angelica Schuyler you don’t become a helpless revolutionary housewife. You’re really great at rapping and singing, and you always come across as someone who is strong, instead of someone who is weak. I also really liked the lyric, “And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, imma compel him to include women in the sequel.” I think that a lot of people think that all women are weak, but you prove them wrong. You really inspire me to want to rap and sing more, and you make me feel like girls can actually be successful in rapping.

Sincerely,
Alice

Hi Katy Perry!

I really like your song “Roar.” Thank you for telling people that they can stand up for themselves and that you don’t need to be bossed around by a bully! This is my favorite paragraph:

“You held me down, but I got up (hey!)
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, your hear that sound
Like thunder, gonna shake your ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready ’cause I’ve had enough
I see it all, I see it now”

I like this paragraph because it tells you that, “You hear that voice, you hear that sound,” and, “You held me down, but I got up,” Which means that if someone is bullying you, you can always speak up for yourself and “get up.” Thank you for writing this song!

Sincerely,
Claire

Dear One Direction,

In your song “What Makes You Beautiful” I feel that you present women in a bad way. In the lyric, “you don’t know you’re beautiful, that’s what makes you beautiful,” I feel that this gives the idea that to be beautiful you have to be insecure. Another lyric that I think represents women in a bad way is when you say, “the way you flip you hair gets me overwhelmed.” I feel that you’re saying that the only reason you like her is because she is attractive. Please take these points into account, and use your talent for good.Sincerely,
Tamsin

Dear Selena Gomez,

I really love your song “Who Says” because it’s really inspiring and shows you that you don’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t matter what people say about you. I really like the line, “Who says you’re not perfect, who says you’re not worth it,” because it’s so inspirational. I also loved your speech at the American Music Awards because it was empowering and moving. I really wish I could meet you!

Sincerely,
Amari

Hey Pink,

I am writing to you about your song “Just Like Fire”. I really like the song but the part that I think stands out is that the music video tries hard not to set any stereotypes. And I realize that it’s for a movie but a lot of movie songs don’t have related videos. I also really like your short hair in the video because it says that any girl can have whatever length hair, but then I also like how you dyed it pink, saying it’s okay to be girly too. I also like how at the start you are doing silk. My friend does them as well. It shows that girls can be strong and graceful at the same time. I really like your music, even though I have only heard a few of your songs.

From,
Sophie