Whether this song is about self-love in the physical sense or emotional sense is up to you. There's a reason this song gets quoted inspirationally all the time - because it works in hyping you up. Heck, if even superstar/your future husband Drake had to stay at his mom's house while trying to make it, you know you can achieve whatever you want if you set your mind to it. You'll be ditching your lip gloss and going Alicia Keys bare-face-beautiful for the next few days after listening to this. The self-esteem song, right? Besides which, it does a convincing and catchy takedown of the U.S. And, before you slip into a bubble bath, try on these songs for size. If you haven't been kind to yourself recently or you've had a couple of rough days or sleepless nights in a row, schedule in some self-care. These songs are focused on the one person in your life you spend the most time with: you. It isn't just about loving and lusting and shaking your thing on the dance floor, OK? A lot of the time, music's just as concerned with the pitfalls involved in constructing a healthy self-image and with the need to take care of yourself mentally and emotionally.
I've lined up 32 songs to get your head to exactly where it needs to be in these exaggeratedly gray, bleak times. Ladies and gentlemen, step right this way.
Such is the nature of being a human being on planet earth, right? During times like this, a self-care playlist of confidence-boosting songs is essential. We know the things we shouldn't do - hate on ourselves, compare ourselves to others around us, drink martinis with that toxic friend with the doctorate in passive-aggressive compliments ("Fun haircut!") - but we do it all anyway.