I made this playlist for a purely selfish reason: I’m having a girls’ night out this weekend. I haven’t gone out with my gals in a while and especially heading towards the holiday season, I want to celebrate with them all the things each of us have been through this year and heck, this decade.

So, we’re gonna celebrate with all the empowered women that have made party songs/songs of empowerment for women in the last few years. I guess I should say that there’s explicit language, just so you know.

I could honestly rave about every woman on this playlist for so many different reasons. Each woman on this playlist has made bangers that make me feel like the powerful woman I am. But I’m gonna highlight some very specific artists/songs that bring out peak 2019 Kelly. BTW, the YGL stands for “You Gotta Listen” or songs that you should watch out for.

Highlights:

–Lizzo: Lizzo is the QUEEN we have needed. Her artistry has taken me to the CHURCH OF SELF-CARE. Whether it’s voicing how you’re still 100% that bitch when you have boy problems to embracing your curves, Lizzo is the positive affirmation that ‘GIRL YOU ARE KILLING IT AT ALL TIMES.’ When I say that my glow-up this year got a boost from her, I mean that Queen Lizzo vitamin-C serum boosted my glowing face. The POWER.
YGL:
-Juice
-Tempo (ft. Missy Elliot)
-Like a Girl

–Ariana Grande: Ari started it all for me this year, as you’ll learn in my upcoming yearly reflection. When 7 Rings came out, I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I love it now. It reminds me of celebrating with my friends, especially since her album came out on my birthday and I ended up throwing a themed party around it. Good times with my girls. Also, GIRLFRIEND was ON FIRE in that video. Anyway, she’s killed the game this year and I love that she celebrates with her friends because same.
YGL:
-successful
-MONOPOLY (ft. Victoria Monet)
-7 Rings

–Jennifer Lopez: The more I grow up, the more I realize what a badass JLo is. Like me and Ari, this queen has been living her best life. Not only did she star in Hustlers, but she’s performing with Shakira (aka my life’s inspiration) at the SuperBowl next year. Two year old me is QUAKING.
YGL:
-Get Right
-Booty (ft. Iggy Azalea)
-On the Floor (ft. Pitbull)

–Mariah Carey: Yes, the queen of Christmas has year-round bangers, y’all better not forget. I’ve started to dive deeper into her artistry because I grew up listening to her R&B radio bangers, not her vocal gymnastics from the 90s. I’m in awe of how this queen has written every song she’s recorded. She commands respect like a true diva and I’m taking notes.
YGL:
-Shake It Off
-Obsessed
-It’s Like That

–Beyoncé: I just recently finally saw her film Homecoming, where she shows the full journey of her Beychella performance. And you guys. I know we all want to be Bey, but like I get it now and I WANT TO BE BEYONCÉ WHEN I GROW UP. Being a mother and an unstoppable force in the music industry, getting pregnant and having to reschedule a headliner gig for Coachella, then having twins and CREATING AN ICONIC MOMENT OF CULTURE. That’s superwoman stuff. Beyoncé makes incredible things happen because she works HARD. I want to be that.
YGL:
-Diva
-Run the World (Girls)
-Flawless Remix (ft. Nicki Minaj)