“Most Girls“ by Hailee Steinfeld highlights self-empowerment. All girls are strong, smart and independent, and that’s what she wants to be-- like those girls.

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When a man, or anyone for that matter, says “you’re not like most girls,” what they’re saying is this: “I have a narrow and limited view of womanhood and I’m using that to judge you.” (That’s a backhanded compliment by the way!!) In her song, Hailee Steinfeld flips the concept of the "compliment" that so many girls/women get: "You’re not like most girls." 

 

The song empowers the message that it’s okay for a woman to change their body, wear makeup, or do what they like. There has been a lot of shame placed towards women who do what they love-- for example, Hailee Steinfeld who sings and is also in the filming industry. She’s constantly told that her music career only took off because she began acting. Her song’s lyrics celebrate women who come in different shapes and sizes, have different dreams, ambitions, lifestyles, and passions.

 

Hailee Steinfeld mentions how she wants to be like "most girls" who stand out from a crowd and don't care about what others say or think about them. She's saying that it's alright to "make yourself up" because when you feel good, you feel more confident and independent; all girls are different and have their unique personalities, and therefore the definition of “mak[ing] yourself up” is completely different for everyone. The song is about being happy in your own skin, rather than simpering to a boy’s idea that you’re only worthwhile because other girls aren’t.

 

In the music video, Hailee takes the persona of a party hopper, geek, and a gym addict to show that all girls are different. Although, the gym addict could also be a party girl, and for that matter, a geek could also be a gym addict (and so and so forth). She may be a boxing champion, but perhaps she loves to wear floral skirts outside the rink. She puts it beautifully in these lines: "You know some days you feel so good in your own skin/ But it's okay if you wanna change the body that you came in."

 

Women, like men, have complex identities and perhaps it’s time we watched it emerge. As Hailee Steinfeld said, “It needs to be said and heard: it’s okay to be who you are.”