Growing up, female pop singers influenced a huge portion of my life. I distinctly remember knowing every lyric to their songs, watching their music videos, and dressing to look like them (especially Hannah Montana). They taught me important lessons that I now use in my daily life. Their songs showed me the foundations of feminism long before I knew what it really was or identified as a feminist. Here's a list of 12 of the most prominent girl-power childhood songs that stood out for my generation.

1. "Who Said" by Hannah Montana

"Who said, who said I can't be Superman / I say, I say that I know I can / Who said, who said I won't be President / I say, I say you ain't seen nothin' yet"

Every girl my age grew up with Hannah Montana to some extent. This song was the first time I remember hearing a girl talk about how she's capable of achieving anything she sets her mind to. The idea of setting your goals high, despite all of the challenges and stereotypes we face as women, is crucial to teach young girls.

2. "Too Little, Too Late" by JoJo

"I'm letting you go / I'm loving myself / You got a problem / But don't come asking me for help"

JoJo's top hit was in the top three of the Billboard 100 Charts before I was even in middle school and I still remember every lyric to this day. This song made me feel super sassy and taught me that, in a relationship, if my partner hurts me, I can be strong and love myself instead.

3. "Should've Said No" by Taylor Swift

"And I should've been there in the back of your mind / I shouldn't be asking myself, 'Why?' / You shouldn't be begging for forgiveness at my feet... / You should've said 'No', baby, and you might still have me"

Taylor Swift's music has always been a constant in my life that provides me an array of different emotions. Before she was telling us to "Shake It Off," she was teaching us that there's no excuse for cheating. Like JoJo also pointed out, it's important to have respect for yourself and to not let people walk all over you.

4. "Potential Breakup Song" by Aly and AJ

"The type of guy who doesn’t see / What he has until she leaves / Don’t let me go / Cause without me, you know you’re lost / Wise up now or pay the cost"

This iconic duo was full of empowering songs. This song is straight up laying out the conditions the boy has to uphold in order to be with the girl, which all have to do with basic respect. The girl knows anyone would be lucky to be with her, therefore she lets the boy know he should either shape up or she's going to move on to bigger and better things. This song is important because it taught me to never settle.

5. "La La Land" by Demi Lovato

"Who said I can't wear my converse with my dress? / Well, baby, that's just me! / And who said I can't be single / And have to go out and mingle / Baby, that's not me, no, no."

This song challenges every societal expectation we face as women growing up today. It talks about body image, saying how we all don't have to look like supermodels. The lyric above inspired me to wear whatever makes me comfortable, despite what others may think.

6. "Who Says" by Selena Gomez

"You made me insecure, told me I wasn't good enough. / But who are you to judge / When you're a diamond in the rough? / I'm sure you got some things / You'd like to change about yourself / But when it comes to me / I wouldn't want to be anybody else."

This song is full of inspiring self-love messages for any kind of girl. This song not only taught me to love myself, it reminded me that I do have flaws and that's OK. Every girl can relate to this song, which celebrates our authenticity.

7. "Begging On Your Knees" by Victoria Justice

"You mess with me and mess with her / So I'll make sure you get what you deserve / Yeah one day you'll be beggin' on your knees for me"

The Nickelodeon show "Victorious" was full of girl-power anthems. But this song was the one that influenced me the most. In the episode, a boy dates two girls at once. Instead of a cat fight, which is what is expected from mainstream media, the girls work together to humiliate the boy for hurting them. This showed me the concept of girls supporting other girls, instead of letting jealousy take over.

8. "Pretty Girl Rock" by Keri Hilson

"Get yourself together, don't hate (never do it) / Jealousy's the ugliest trait (don't ever do it) / I can talk about it 'cause I know that I'm pretty / And if you know it too then ladies sing it with me"

This song was every girl's anthem in middle school. It made us feel confident in ourselves. Not only that, it encouraged all girls to love themselves as well. Instead of being exclusive and implying that we are prettier than others, Keri Hilson calls out any girl that knows how beautiful she is to sing with her. It's important because it tells girls that beauty can be found in everyone.

9. "This Is Me" by Demi Lovato

"This is real / This is me / I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now / Gonna let the light shine on me / Now I've found who I am / There's no way to hold it in / No more hiding who I wanna be / This is me"

This song is from "Camp Rock," a movie where the main character, Mitchie, lives a lie throughout the plot because she is embarrassed about who she really is. At the end, the truth is revealed and she sings this song celebrating her true identity. This told me as a young girl that I don't have to hide my true self. If people like who I really am, that's great. If not, it's their loss.

10. "Wannabe" by The Spice Girls

"If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends (gotta get with my friends) / Make it last forever friendship never ends"

This chart-topping song is the epitome of "Girl Code". No matter how amazing your significant other is, you have to still make time for your girls. It showed young girls how important friendship is compared to a relationship that may not last forever.

11. "Cinderella" by The Cheetah Girls

"Someday I'm gonna find Someone / That wants somebody's soul, heart and mind / Who's not afraid to show that he loves me / Somebody who will understand I'm happy just the way I am / Don't need nobody taking care of me / (I will be there) I will be there for him just as strong as he will be there for me / When I give myself then it has got to be an equal thing"

The Cheetah Girls were the queens of girl power, friendship, and confidence. This song hit me especially hard as a child. Before this song, childhood was full of pretty princesses who were in trouble and had to wait for a man to save them. I accepted this because it was all I knew. These lyrics have always stuck with me, especially the line " I'd rather rescue myself." Also, the song does not completely rule out being in a relationship, but it specifies that it should be an equal commitment between partners. Women definitely do not have to wait for a handsome prince to save them, they're capable of much more than how they're portrayed in fairy tales.

12. "We're All In This Together" by the High School Musical Cast

"Everyone is special in their own way / We make each other strong / We're not the same / We're different in a good way / Together's where we belong"

Everyone who grew up in the 2000s knew every lyric to this song and maybe even the choreography, too. This song represented, for me, a section of feminism that is rarely talked about and is commonly misunderstood. Feminism, by definition, is the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. It's not an idea that women are better than men, which is called misandry. Many men and women do not want to identify with the label of being a "feminist" because of this false assumption. Like in the iconic closing number of "High School Musical," in order to solve problems in gender equality, we all must work together as a team.