Run the World Girls by Beyonce

 Ever since I listened to “Somebody that I Used to Know”, I started going through different songs that were either representative of my new social activism or at the very least different from my usual anime/2010s pop playlists. It was during this time that I rediscovered Beyonce and her song, “Run the World (Girls)”. It is kind of embarrassing to look back at how immature my reactions to songs like this were. I hated it so badly, and this even extended to shows like Powerpuff Girls and Winx Club. I always felt personally slighted when I was younger because in my head, I was attacked by being a man and in any competitions in TV shows, the guys were dumb jerks who always lost, and the girls were smart heroes who always won. 

Thinking more about it, this reaction was not completely unwarranted. It was part of a broader pattern of the shows and music I engaged in as a kid. Shows that centered girls as heroes with the boys as incompetent made me feel resentful. I interpreted those portrayals personally. Instead of recognizing them as stories, I internalized some of those statements about my own self-worth. In my mind, the more I kept the score, the more it seemed like I was losing. As Patricia Hill Collins explains in her discussion of the “Outsider Within,” perspective is shaped by one’s social position. As a child, I lacked the context to see these narratives as responses to inequality and instead viewed them through a self-centered lens. But revisiting the song now and even the shows I watched, I can see how much my perspective has changed. What once felt like an attack now reads as a declaration rooted in a specific historical piece being ignored. Through learning more about Black feminism, I’ve come to understand that expressions like this aren’t about putting men down but about asserting value in a world that has consistently ignored. This aligns with Mikki Kendall’s argument that feminism, especially when it centers marginalized women, is often addressing forms of inequality that are invisible to those not experiencing them. Looking through that perspective, the song is less about exclusion and more about recognition. 

This newfound understanding even applies a bit to my younger self. My reaction came from a naive perspective to separate personal identity from social narratives. As a child, I didn’t understand why such messages existed, and while I still believe that some of them were overly meanspirited, my overall take is that I still was a bit too ignorant about those types of media. This is where Joan Morgan’s idea of hip-hop feminism is relevant to me, particularly her emphasis on embracing contradiction. It is possible to recognize the empowering intent behind media while also critiquing the ways it can flatten or stereotype. Granted during that time, my thought process and this idea were not mutually exclusive. Now though, I can approach the song with a different mindset. Instead of asking, “Why is this making me feel angry?” I ask myself, “What is this trying to lift up, and why?” That change in framing honestly blew my mind the first time I asked myself that question. Reframing situations from emotionally fueled questions into more neutral ones has been benefitting me both in real life and even in some of my online classes. It allows me to appreciate the song’s energy and intent without feeling threatened by it. More importantly, it helps me recognize how media can serve as a platform for voices that have historically been sidelined. 

Looking back, there is a certain cringe I get in how strongly I react, but there is also being able to acknowledge that reaction and trying to move beyond it. The discomfort I felt then has become a point of reminder of how much context matters in interpretation. What once felt like a personal slight has become an opportunity to better understand perspectives outside my own. In that sense, revisiting this song wasn’t just about music; it was about confronting an earlier version of myself. And through that confrontation, I’ve gained a clearer sense of how my views have evolved and changed how I participate with ideas like Black feminism. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          CITATIONS 

Patricia Hill Collins. “Learning from the Outsider Within: The Sociological Significance of Black Feminist Thought” 

https://kennesaw.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/3820831/viewContent/59390744/View 

 

Mikki Kendall. “Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot.” 

https://kennesaw.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/3820831/viewContent/59390782/View 

 

Joan Morgan. When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down. 

https://kennesaw.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/3820831/viewContent/59390764/View 

Run the World (Girls) by Beyonce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhT3Gw4hZ3I


 

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