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The Fall Out Boy frontman made his solo debut earlier this year with the EP “Truant Wave,” featuring this uplifting, irony-free song with lyrics that read like the mantra from a self-help book. Sample lyric: “You could be your own spotlight / You could be the star / You can shine so bright” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Brendan Hoffman, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Songs for the Mi...It’s official – 2011 is the year of the anti-bully, and nowhere is it more apparent than on the pop charts. From Lady Gaga to Justin Bieber, it seems like just about everyone is coming out with a “misfit anthem” paying tribute to the plight of the underdog. Take a look at the top self-empowerment songs of the past year. (Photos: Getty Images)
By Jeff Royer
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
'Mean,' Taylor S...Taylor Swift lashes out at bullies in the latest single from “Speak Now,” aptly titled “Mean.” “When you do what I do, which is you put yourself out there for a lot of people to say whatever they want...there's a million different opinions," Swift told E! News. “I get that, no matter what, you're going to be criticized for something. But I also get that there are different kinds of ways to criticize someone. There's constructive criticism, there's professional criticism—and then there's just being mean.” Sample lyric: “Someday I'll be living in a big old city / And all you're ever gonna be is mean / Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me / And all you're ever gonna be is mean” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
'Raise Your Glas...Pink makes her second appearance on this list with this No. 1 smash, which she described to MTV as a “celebration for people who feel left out from the popular crowd.” “I wanted to write a song about underdogs,” she said. Sample lyric: “So raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways / All my underdogs, we will never be, never be / Anything but loud and nitty gritty dirty little freaks” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
'Firework,' Katy...“Firework” is a textbook self-empowerment anthem, picking up where Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” left off. “People are coming back and almost adopting it as their own anthem,” Perry told MTV. "I hope this could be one of those things where it's like, 'Yeah, I want to put my fist up and feel proud and feel strong.'” Sample lyric: “There’s a spark in you / You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine / Just own the night like the Fourth of July / 'Cause baby, you're a firework / Come on, show 'em what you're worth / Make 'em go, ‘Ah’/ As you shoot across the sky” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Neil Lupin, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
‘We R Who We R,’...Ke$ha wrote this No. 1 hit in the wake of some highly publicized cases of bullying that led to the suicides of several gay teens. “I wanted to inspire people,” she told Entertainment Weekly, “to be themselves. It’s a celebration of any sort of quirks or eccentricities.” Sample lyrics: “Tonight we're going hard / Just like the world is ours / We're tearing it apart / You know we're superstars / We are who we are” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Jordan Strauss, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
'Perfect,' PinkPink scored a No. 2 hit with this uplifting song inspired in part by her husband, motocross racer Carey Hart, and in part by the victims of bullying she has seen in her own life. “Cutting, and suicide, two very different symptoms of the same problem, are gaining on us (the problem being; alienation and depression. the symptoms; cutting and suicide),” she said in a video on her website. “I personally don't know a single person who doesn't know at least two of these victims personally.” Sample lyric: “Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel / Like you're less than, less than perfect / Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing / You are perfect to me” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Handout, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
‘Who Says,’ Sele...Disney starlet Selena Gomez’s new hit is aimed directly at her fans (and peers) who are experiencing bullying in a modern way – via Twitter and Facebook. “When I heard [the song for the first time], I feel like my fans need this song,” she told Ryan Seacrest. “Basically, it’s to the haters, the people that are trying to break you down. … I think that this song is such a great message for my fans. It really touched me when I heard it.” Sample lyric: “Who says you're not perfect / Who says you're not worth it / Who says you're the only one that's hurting / Trust me / That's the price of beauty” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Kevin Winter, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
‘Desperate Girls...Eight years after her stint on “American Idol,” Kimberly Caldwell stepped out with this self-empowerment anthem disguised as a party song. “I automatically connected with this song because life is so much brighter and easier when you stop trying so hard to fit in,” she said on her website. “It’s important to surround yourself with the special people in your life who appreciate you for who you really are and always have your back.” Sample lyrics: “Drive / Meet me at the corner of hope and hopeless / Try / To follow me, I know a way out” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Noel Vasquez, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
‘Loser Like Me,’...The first original radio single from “Glee” was written and produced in part by Max Martin, the man behind Pink’s “Raise Your Glass.” No wonder, then, that it also shares that song’s themes of self-empowerment. “For any kid who’s ever been bullied or adult who remembers being bullied, it’s a bulls-eye,” wrote HitFix. Sample lyrics: “All of the dirt you’ve been throwin’ my way / It ain’t so hard to take, that’s right / ‘Cause I know one day you’ll be screamin’ my name / And I’ll just look away, that’s right” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Jason Kempin, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
‘Spotlight (Oh N...The Fall Out Boy frontman made his solo debut earlier this year with the EP “Truant Wave,” featuring this uplifting, irony-free song with lyrics that read like the mantra from a self-help book. Sample lyric: “You could be your own spotlight / You could be the star / You can shine so bright” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Brendan Hoffman, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
‘Never Say Never...If it’s good enough to motivate the Karate Kid, it’s good enough to motivate you. This song, which served as the theme song for Jaden Smith’s 2010 “Karate Kid” reboot, was likened by Idolator to a tween-friendly version of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.” Sample lyric: “I will never say never (I will fight) / I will fight till forever (Make it right) / Whenever you knock me down / I will not stay on the ground” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Mark Metcalfe, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
'Born This Way,'...What everyone can agree on is that Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” is a huge anthem – even if we can’t reach a consensus on exactly what it’s championing. Some say it’s a gay anthem, others say it’s a song of underdogs of every stripe. As Perez Hilton wrote, “[‘Born This Way’ is] a universal song that can relate to everyone, [t]o all of us outsiders, to all of us freaks, to all of us who feel different. And the music is undeniable." Sample lyric: “I'm beautiful in my way / 'Cause God makes no mistakes / I'm on the right track, baby / I was born this way” —Jeff Royer (Photo: Rick Diamond, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
