In 2013, the queen herself, Beyonce released "***Flawless"- her single that empowered women nationwide and left an unforgettable mark on the feminist movement. All at the same time, we found ourselves dancing uncontrollably, as the music moved from our feet to the tips of our fingers and then to our minds. The powerful lyrics enabled us to understand that we, as women, are all flawless.

Controversies arose as the song and music video came out, many claimed that her language was far too profane to represent such a powerful message and movement as a feminist. “Bow down, b*tches” is a line proudly sung in "Flawless", which enraged many. The other side of the controversy is the "nobody’s perfect" argument (Thanks, Hannah Montana), where critics argued that her song was praising the fact that all women should wake up flawless, with no imperfections. Her co-writer, The Dream, stated that “It’s not to be taken literally,” and “Nobody wakes up flawless. It’s an oxymoron. But the meaning behind it, is to say ‘I just woke up feeling good,’ is what it’s about.” Critics took her lyrics very literally while Beyoncé’s vision was to empower women and make them feel beautiful and good about themselves. Well, critics...

In the second verse, Beyoncé adds a clip from Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s, speech on feminism, which was musically genius. One line is as stated, “We say to girls, 'You can have ambition. But not too much. You should aim to be successful. But not too successful. Otherwise you will threaten the man.'" She also speaks on how women feel pressured to have goals that include marrying a man. Social and gender imbalances exist and they are bluntly addressed in Adichie’s speech and all throughout "***Flawless". Boys and men are not as pressured in the same way or nearly as harsh, which is something that needs to be talked about more.

The most important feeling we can hold as women is to love ourselves. Beyoncé’s "***Flawless" teaches us to love ourselves, wake up, feel awesome about your day, and kick some ass. The last trait women should feel going into a new year, is to feel inferior to something or someone, including a man. Flawless allows us to feel powerful. This anthem gives women everywhere the opportunity to, for four minutes and thirteen seconds, feel good about themselves and take a break from the everyday pressure that exists for women.

So let it play loud and proud ladies. You ARE flawless, inside and out. Nobody can bring you down and there is no better way to remind yourself than embracing your inner Beyoncé.