33 Songs About Hating Your Body & Body Issues
At some point in life, many face insecurities regarding body image. Body issues can be hard to endure, but music is there to help us realize we aren’t alone. Here are some popular songs about hating your body.
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1. “I’m Not Pretty” by JESSIA
Song Year: 2021
JESSIA, or Jessica Harking, is a pop artist from British Colombia. She wrote this song about body issues in 2020.
“I’m Not Pretty” got a January 2021 release and was the second track off her hit EP, How Are You? The song has an electro-pop feel with loud vocals, intense drums, and a singable chorus about body hatred.
In the track, JESSIA sings about her past issues hating her body. She concludes it’s more important to focus on her good qualities.
2. “Unpretty” by TLC
Song Year: 1999
“Unpretty” is a pop song with a distinct 1990s feel. The song about body hate has a guitar track, layered vocals, and a fast, R&B-infused beat.
This hit track is by TLC, a girl group from Atlanta, Georgia, and the girls sing about how inner beauty isn’t the same as physical beauty. The pop song dropped in 1999 and reached the top of the charts.
3. “Smaller Than This” By Sara Kays
Song Year: 2020
“Smaller Than This” is a soft-pop song by Indiana-based artist Sara Kays. It was one of her first big hits and the track deals with body image and anxiety issues.
The song is about Kays’ experience with eating disorders and overexercising.
4. “Self Hate” by Mayten
Song Year: 2020
For another great song about hating your body, listen to “Self Hate” by Mayten. It’s an ethereal, whispery track that emulates feelings of self-hatred and body issues.
The song came out in 2020 as a single track by Mayten, a female artist who dabbles in slow pop and instrumentals. “Self Hate” is a classic Mayten track with muted vocals and electro production.
5. “Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara
Song Year: 2016
“Scars to Your Beautiful” is perhaps the most famous track about hating your body. It came out in 2016 and was a viral hit, sending Alessia Cara to the top of the US charts.
The empowering anthem sends a message to teenage girls and anyone struggling with body issues. In front of an upbeat pop backing track, Cara sings about the beauty industry and the harms of diets.
6. “Candy Says” by The Velvet Underground
Song Year: 1969
The Velvet Underground, a folk band from the 60s and 70s, wrote this song about hating your body in 1969. It was the first track from their third album and one of the most beloved by fans.
“Candy Says” is about the singer’s friend who feels uncomfortable in her body. Accompanied by a soft folk track, the eponymous Candy says she hates her body and wishes she looked different.
7. “Madonna” by Snail Mail
Song Year: 2021
“Madonna” is a song about a supreme beauty standard, often unattainable. It’s about how people sometimes view their lovers through a lens of worship and how the singer hates her body.
The song came out in the fall of 2021 on Snail Mail’s album, Valentine, and has soft-rock sounds, a rhythmic bassline, and classic rock drum riffs.
8. “Am I Pretty?” by The Maine
Song Year: 2015
The Maine is an alternative rock band from Arizona, and the group released this track about body issues in early 2015. It’s an upbeat rock hit about body dysmorphia, which is the feeling you have a flawed appearance.
“Am I Pretty?” has elements of 90s rock, modern alternative, and pop, and the track describes people who wonder if others like them and if they are attractive.
9. “Real Men” by Mitski
Song Year: 2012
Japanese-American songwriter Mitski is famous for singing about insecurities. “Real Men,” a soft pop hit that addresses body hate, was an early hit for the artist in 2012.
The song has a light, free-sounding piano track with cymbals and Mitski’s characteristic wailing vocals. She sings about masculinity, independence, eating issues, and how others view her body.
10. “My Mother & I” by Lucy Dacus
Song Year: 2019
Lucy Dacus’s 2019 song “My Mother & I” is a soft guitar track about generational body hate. It launched as a non-album single in the spring of that year, gaining traction with fans and new listeners.
In the track, Dacus tells us about her mother’s body insecurity and how that makes Dacus herself feel unbeautiful. Dacus dislikes the softness of her body and how she feels in her skin.
11. “Invisible” by Skylar Grey
Song Year: 2011
Skylar Grey details her eating disorder in “Invisible,” a pop song released on August 9th, 2011. It has a hard-hitting beat and light, ethereal vocals from Grey.
Grey tells the story of how she developed body issues, from dieting to altering her appearance. In a high-profile career, she worries about the opinion of the media and her listeners.
