“Pissed off” is an understatement. These six songs are enraged, not just expressions of the anger and pain and fear that we’ve dealt with for nearly a decade, but also a call to arms.

“It’s Okay to Punch Nazis” by Cheap Perfume

This 2017 single by riot grrrl quartet Cheap Perfume is everything the genre at its best: feminist, energetic and straightforward. The chorus, “Never thought that it would happen, but now look where we are / Rather have a rapist than a woman in power” will get stuck in your head along with the simple, but perfect, “Hey, it’s okay to punch Nazis!”

“Dead Men Don’t Rape” by Delilah Bon

A furious response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, this rap-metal song is an intersectional cry of protest embodied by the barely-contained anger in Delilah Bon’s impressive vocal range. She wants you to know that if the title offends you, then you’re part of the problem:

“You get so offended when I say dead men don’t rape / But where is your anger when I say women are, women are, women are dying?”

And it’s a rallying cry of solidarity:

“How many rights will they take from the women, non-binary, trans people? / Violence? / Is it the answer? / Maybe it is and they’re scared we’ll discover / The strength of our anger in numbers.”

“Battlefield” by SkyDxddy

This feminist anthem by rocker and rapper SkyDxaddy isn’t fucking around. It’s an infuriated call for women to do whatever they have to do to defend themselves from the violence of men:

“If you push your buttons then it’s likely blood will spill / Yes if we find the need to slit your throat we fucking will.”

Taking this in with the single’s perfect cover art, the song is in part pointing out that if guns are going to stay available, then women should buy them and be prepared to use them: “If you trespass on my body, I have every right to shoot.”

“FDT” by YG and Nipsey Hussle

Standing for “Fuck Donald Trump,” this rap track came out in the midst of the 2016 election and is, unfortunately, still all too relevant. YG adds an interesting angle to this song, discussing how, before entering politics, Trump was viewed (falsely, of course) by far more people as a shrewd businessman, and how his actions have turned so many admirers against him. He and Nipsey Hussle also declare their solidarity with Mexicans, stating:

“And if it’s time to team up, shit, let’s begin / Black love, Brown pride in the sets again.”

“Catch a Brick” by DemsFightinWords, Mobbs Radical and Bashed In

This hardcore/rap crossover is an ACAB anthem. “Fuck the boys in blue” is the mildest line in the song. The men who are sick of this shit are showing up in songs like this, channeling that male aggression toward fighting, in this case, police state occupation.

“Fuck a Proud Boy” by Kind Eyes and UnityTX

The title says it all.

Photo Credit: Spotify