33 Songs About Hating Your Body & Body Issues
Contents
12. “Body” by Julia Michaels
Song Year: 2019
Listen to “Body” by Christian pop legend Julia Michaels, a singer-producer from California. Michaels is known for her poignant love songs, and “Body” is no exception.
The romantic track is about a lover who adores Michaels’ appearance. However, she struggles with body issues and doesn’t see her appearance like that.
13. “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
Song Year: 2022
Beloved American artist Taylor Swift released “Anti-Hero” in 2022 as part of her album Midnights. Each track on the album deals with a different late-night episode of her past, and “Anti-Hero” is about issues surrounding the topic of failure, including body image.
Swift sings about how she feels everybody around her is pretty, and the singer feels overweight and unattractive. However, she also sings about how the media sexualized her appearance from a young age.
14. “My Body Is A Cage” by Arcade Fire
Song Year: 2007
Rock singer Win Butler feels trapped by his body in this 2007 hit. The Canadian frontman from Arcade Fire describes having low self-esteem. He wants to dance with his crush but feels unattractive.
“My Body Is A Cage” is a soft rock hit with organ music and gentle vocalizations from Butler.
15. “Teen Idle” by Marina and The Diamonds
Song Year: 2012
Welsh-Greek pop singer Marina has been a voice for young girls since 2005, but her lyrics can resonate with anyone. She released “Teen Idle” in 2012 alongside her instrumental ensemble, The Diamonds.
“Teen Idle” follows a teenage Marina struggling with conventional beauty standards. Marina sings about how she wasted her teen years wanting blonde hair, self-admiration, and popularity.
16. “Body” by Mother Mother
Song Year: 2008
Alternative band Mother Mother released the song “Body” in 2008, a morbid song about body hatred. The lead singer Ryan Guldemond explains how he feels his mind is above his body, and his physical form gets in the way.
Guldemond sings about how his body weighs him down, and the singer feels tired. The song is a chiller Mother Mother hit but includes a good drum beat and fun, upbeat vocals.
17. “Prom Queen” by Beach Bunny
Song Year: 2018
Another famous song about body issues is “Prom Queen” by Beach Bunny. Although it came out in 2018, the sad-girl song hit the mainstream in 2020 on the Tik Tok platform.
“Prom Queen” is an inner consciousness-style song following the musings of a high school girl. Over a relaxed pop-rock music track, Beach Bunny describes a girl counting calories, getting cosmetic surgery, and hating her body.
18. “PrettyGirlz” by Willow
Song Year: 2019
The daughter of actors Will and Jada Smith is famous in her own right. She’s launched over five albums, and “PrettyGirlz” came from her 2019 compilation, WILLOW.
“PrettyGirlz” is about the toxic beauty standard Willow observed growing up in California. It’s a slow song with indie-pop feels, chill electric guitar, and echoey vocals.
19. “Can’t Wait To Be Pretty” by Cate
Song Year: 2020
A large part of body dysmorphia is a fixation on the future, and Cate addresses that aspect in her 2020 single “Can’t Wait To Be Pretty.” The song was a demo and never appeared on her albums, but “Can’t Wait To Be Pretty” did well on social media and resonated with her fans, gaining thousands of fans online.
This track is about avoiding people and social situations because of body issues. Cate said when she was young, she was obsessed with being thin in the future.
20. “Brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo
Song Year: 2021
Olivia Rodrigo is a pop singer famous for her hits “Drivers License” and “Traitor.” While she’s renowned for her romance songs, “Brutal” is a lesser-known track about insecurity, including body issues.
“Brutal” has a rock feeling and heavily filtered vocals. It’s a teen angst song about feeling insecure and unhappy in your teenage years.
21. “Diet” by Peakboy feat. Whee In
Song Year: 2020
South Korean K-pop rapper Peakboy teamed up with Whee In for this track about hating your body. The pair dropped it on August 18th, 2020, alongside a glossy music video, reaching hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
“Diet” is about knowing a girl who has body issues. The singer encourages the girl to stop dieting because she’s beautiful as she is. Whee In joins in on the second verse, singing about her personal insecurities.
22. “I’m Not Enough and I’m Sorry” by Teqkoi feat. Snow
Song Year: 2018
This song is a sad track about feeling insecure and worthless. It’s by Teqkoi, a Lofi singer famed for his soft-beats production.
US rapper Snow joins Teqkoi, rapping about feeling inadequate alongside his romantic partner. His ethereal lyrics detail self-hatred and feeling tired.
23. “Girls” by Marina
Song Year: 20
“Girls” is a song about the feminine beauty standard. It describes how people expect girls to be, such as being restrained, polite, and attractive.
Marina touches on body issues in the song, saying she sees girls cut calories as they hate their bodies. Despite the heavy lyrics, the song has a bouncy tune and a fun, sing-along chorus.
24. “Victoria’s Secret” by Jax
Song Year: 2022
Victoria’s Secret is a modeling company, and Jax touches on the industry’s controversies in the song of the same name. The pop singer, famous for competing on American Idol, entered the US charts for the first time for this hit single.
“Victoria’s Secret” follows young Jax as she encounters the concept of dieting for the first time. She explains how companies like Victoria’s Secret made her hate her body.
