Hi there, Paytra here. “Good Girls Don’t Make History” is one of those songs that quite literally flew out of my brain within an hour, as if it were destined. I was sitting in my home studio in Manhattan, provoked by a comment I saw online from an internet troll (a frequent muse for my songs.) It said something along the lines of “overly opinionated women are problematic.”
Sure, not everyone hides behind a screen with the same bold, brash confidence as this guy. However, the judgment of opinionated and powerful women remains deeply ingrained in our society today, and I’ve certainly felt its sting!
It made me reflect on all the times I’ve been labeled “bossy,” “rude,” or “pushy” simply for advocating for myself or my business. I’ve even found myself questioning if I was the problem, merely for pointing out someone else’s mistake or requesting the same pay as a male counterpart—because the tone is almost always “how dare she!”
As a woman, it often feels like you are expected to be more “agreeable” or accommodating, even at the expense of your own needs. Many women have faced this expectation, and the rhetoric that discourages us from causing problems or upsetting the status quo is both dangerous and detrimental to the progress of gender equity.
It perpetuates a massive glass ceiling that we continue to encounter today. When a woman speaks sternly, she is labeled as “emotional and bossy,” while her male counterpart is seen as “powerful and important.” We need to ask ourselves why this double standard exists.
“Good Girls Don’t Make History” is an anthem telling girls to stop second-guessing themselves. Standing up for yourself isn’t being pushy. Doing your job and saying things sternly doesn’t make you bossy. And speaking up about something, regardless of whose feelings you hurt, doesn’t make you rude.
I LOVE the Eleanor Roosevelt quote, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” It resonated with me from the moment I heard it because it’s so true. How many women throughout history have been vilified for speaking up or taking control, only to be celebrated later on?
In today’s standards, being a “good girl” might keep you out of controversy and be a win for the “status quo,” but it won’t help you make history. What does “being ladylike” even really mean? Crossing your legs, asking for permission, waiting your turn to speak and never interrupting, never demanding more than you’re given, never causing a scene or getting angry, etc.
“Good Girls Don’t Make History” carries an important message: we need to stop teaching girls to be “ladylike” and start teaching them to be powerful. When a generation of women is encouraged to take up as much space as men and challenge the men they sit at the table with, that’s when we will see true equality.
My biggest inspiration has always been the progress of women. I love writing empowering music that addresses important concepts while being fun, celebratory, and full of love. “Good Girls Don’t Make History” truly embodies that energy. It invites everyone, men included, to come together and uplift. I think that’s so important.
My goal is to provide a platform for girls to know that it’s okay to ask for a raise or to say, “No, I won’t accept that treatment.” I want to talk about money, business, and power in my music. I want women to know that it’s okay to desire those things. I also want to let women know that we aren’t competing against each other. We need each other! Most importantly, once we build a platform, we need to support other women and raise them up with us!
Music shapes culture, and it’s our responsibility as artists to create music that matters. Listen to “Good Girls Don’t Make History” below and stream it everywhere else here.
Word by Paytra // Follow her on Instagram + TikTok
Photo Credit: Justin Rodriguez
