At some point in life, many face insecurities regarding body image. Body issues can be hard to endure, but music is there to help us realize we aren’t alone. Here are some popular songs about hating your body.
1. “I’m Not Pretty” by JESSIA
Song Year: 2021
JESSIA, or Jessica Harking, is a pop artist from British Colombia. She wrote this song about body issues in 2020.
“I’m Not Pretty” got a January 2021 release and was the second track off her hit EP, How Are You? The song has an electro-pop feel with loud vocals, intense drums, and a singable chorus about body hatred.
In the track, JESSIA sings about her past issues hating her body. She concludes it’s more important to focus on her good qualities.
2. “Unpretty” by TLC
Song Year: 1999
“Unpretty” is a pop song with a distinct 1990s feel. The song about body hate has a guitar track, layered vocals, and a fast, R&B-infused beat.
This hit track is by TLC, a girl group from Atlanta, Georgia, and the girls sing about how inner beauty isn’t the same as physical beauty. The pop song dropped in 1999 and reached the top of the charts.
3. “Smaller Than This” By Sara Kays
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvYpyGikb1c
Song Year: 2020
“Smaller Than This” is a soft-pop song by Indiana-based artist Sara Kays. It was one of her first big hits and the track deals with body image and anxiety issues.
The song is about Kays’ experience with eating disorders and overexercising.
4. “Self Hate” by Mayten
Song Year: 2020
For another great song about hating your body, listen to “Self Hate” by Mayten. It’s an ethereal, whispery track that emulates feelings of self-hatred and body issues.
The song came out in 2020 as a single track by Mayten, a female artist who dabbles in slow pop and instrumentals. “Self Hate” is a classic Mayten track with muted vocals and electro production.
5. “Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara
Song Year: 2016
“Scars to Your Beautiful” is perhaps the most famous track about hating your body. It came out in 2016 and was a viral hit, sending Alessia Cara to the top of the US charts.
The empowering anthem sends a message to teenage girls and anyone struggling with body issues. In front of an upbeat pop backing track, Cara sings about the beauty industry and the harms of diets.
6. “Candy Says” by The Velvet Underground
Song Year: 1969
The Velvet Underground, a folk band from the 60s and 70s, wrote this song about hating your body in 1969. It was the first track from their third album and one of the most beloved by fans.
“Candy Says” is about the singer’s friend who feels uncomfortable in her body. Accompanied by a soft folk track, the eponymous Candy says she hates her body and wishes she looked different.
7. “Madonna” by Snail Mail
Song Year: 2021
“Madonna” is a song about a supreme beauty standard, often unattainable. It’s about how people sometimes view their lovers through a lens of worship and how the singer hates her body.
The song came out in the fall of 2021 on Snail Mail’s album, Valentine, and has soft-rock sounds, a rhythmic bassline, and classic rock drum riffs.
8. “Am I Pretty?” by The Maine
Song Year: 2015
The Maine is an alternative rock band from Arizona, and the group released this track about body issues in early 2015. It’s an upbeat rock hit about body dysmorphia, which is the feeling you have a flawed appearance.
“Am I Pretty?” has elements of 90s rock, modern alternative, and pop, and the track describes people who wonder if others like them and if they are attractive.
9. “Real Men” by Mitski
Song Year: 2012
Japanese-American songwriter Mitski is famous for singing about insecurities. “Real Men,” a soft pop hit that addresses body hate, was an early hit for the artist in 2012.
The song has a light, free-sounding piano track with cymbals and Mitski’s characteristic wailing vocals. She sings about masculinity, independence, eating issues, and how others view her body.
10. “My Mother & I” by Lucy Dacus
Song Year: 2019
Lucy Dacus’s 2019 song “My Mother & I” is a soft guitar track about generational body hate. It launched as a non-album single in the spring of that year, gaining traction with fans and new listeners.
In the track, Dacus tells us about her mother’s body insecurity and how that makes Dacus herself feel unbeautiful. Dacus dislikes the softness of her body and how she feels in her skin.
11. “Invisible” by Skylar Grey
Song Year: 2011
Skylar Grey details her eating disorder in “Invisible,” a pop song released on August 9th, 2011. It has a hard-hitting beat and light, ethereal vocals from Grey.
Grey tells the story of how she developed body issues, from dieting to altering her appearance. In a high-profile career, she worries about the opinion of the media and her listeners.
12. “Body” by Julia Michaels
Song Year: 2019
Listen to “Body” by Christian pop legend Julia Michaels, a singer-producer from California. Michaels is known for her poignant love songs, and “Body” is no exception.
The romantic track is about a lover who adores Michaels’ appearance. However, she struggles with body issues and doesn’t see her appearance like that.
13. “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
Song Year: 2022
Beloved American artist Taylor Swift released “Anti-Hero” in 2022 as part of her album Midnights. Each track on the album deals with a different late-night episode of her past, and “Anti-Hero” is about issues surrounding the topic of failure, including body image.
Swift sings about how she feels everybody around her is pretty, and the singer feels overweight and unattractive. However, she also sings about how the media sexualized her appearance from a young age.
14. “My Body Is A Cage” by Arcade Fire
Song Year: 2007
Rock singer Win Butler feels trapped by his body in this 2007 hit. The Canadian frontman from Arcade Fire describes having low self-esteem. He wants to dance with his crush but feels unattractive.
“My Body Is A Cage” is a soft rock hit with organ music and gentle vocalizations from Butler.
15. “Teen Idle” by Marina and The Diamonds
Song Year: 2012
Welsh-Greek pop singer Marina has been a voice for young girls since 2005, but her lyrics can resonate with anyone. She released “Teen Idle” in 2012 alongside her instrumental ensemble, The Diamonds.
“Teen Idle” follows a teenage Marina struggling with conventional beauty standards. Marina sings about how she wasted her teen years wanting blonde hair, self-admiration, and popularity.
16. “Body” by Mother Mother
Song Year: 2008
Alternative band Mother Mother released the song “Body” in 2008, a morbid song about body hatred. The lead singer Ryan Guldemond explains how he feels his mind is above his body, and his physical form gets in the way.
Guldemond sings about how his body weighs him down, and the singer feels tired. The song is a chiller Mother Mother hit but includes a good drum beat and fun, upbeat vocals.
17. “Prom Queen” by Beach Bunny
Song Year: 2018
Another famous song about body issues is “Prom Queen” by Beach Bunny. Although it came out in 2018, the sad-girl song hit the mainstream in 2020 on the Tik Tok platform.
“Prom Queen” is an inner consciousness-style song following the musings of a high school girl. Over a relaxed pop-rock music track, Beach Bunny describes a girl counting calories, getting cosmetic surgery, and hating her body.
18. “PrettyGirlz” by Willow
Song Year: 2019
The daughter of actors Will and Jada Smith is famous in her own right. She’s launched over five albums, and “PrettyGirlz” came from her 2019 compilation, WILLOW.
“PrettyGirlz” is about the toxic beauty standard Willow observed growing up in California. It’s a slow song with indie-pop feels, chill electric guitar, and echoey vocals.
19. “Can’t Wait To Be Pretty” by Cate
Song Year: 2020
A large part of body dysmorphia is a fixation on the future, and Cate addresses that aspect in her 2020 single “Can’t Wait To Be Pretty.” The song was a demo and never appeared on her albums, but “Can’t Wait To Be Pretty” did well on social media and resonated with her fans, gaining thousands of fans online.
This track is about avoiding people and social situations because of body issues. Cate said when she was young, she was obsessed with being thin in the future.
20. “Brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo
Song Year: 2021
Olivia Rodrigo is a pop singer famous for her hits “Drivers License” and “Traitor.” While she’s renowned for her romance songs, “Brutal” is a lesser-known track about insecurity, including body issues.
“Brutal” has a rock feeling and heavily filtered vocals. It’s a teen angst song about feeling insecure and unhappy in your teenage years.
21. “Diet” by Peakboy feat. Whee In
Song Year: 2020
South Korean K-pop rapper Peakboy teamed up with Whee In for this track about hating your body. The pair dropped it on August 18th, 2020, alongside a glossy music video, reaching hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
“Diet” is about knowing a girl who has body issues. The singer encourages the girl to stop dieting because she’s beautiful as she is. Whee In joins in on the second verse, singing about her personal insecurities.
22. “I’m Not Enough and I’m Sorry” by Teqkoi feat. Snow
Song Year: 2018
This song is a sad track about feeling insecure and worthless. It’s by Teqkoi, a Lofi singer famed for his soft-beats production.
US rapper Snow joins Teqkoi, rapping about feeling inadequate alongside his romantic partner. His ethereal lyrics detail self-hatred and feeling tired.
23. “Girls” by Marina
Song Year: 20
“Girls” is a song about the feminine beauty standard. It describes how people expect girls to be, such as being restrained, polite, and attractive.
Marina touches on body issues in the song, saying she sees girls cut calories as they hate their bodies. Despite the heavy lyrics, the song has a bouncy tune and a fun, sing-along chorus.
24. “Victoria’s Secret” by Jax
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFKnuJB_WkM
Song Year: 2022
Victoria’s Secret is a modeling company, and Jax touches on the industry’s controversies in the song of the same name. The pop singer, famous for competing on American Idol, entered the US charts for the first time for this hit single.
“Victoria’s Secret” follows young Jax as she encounters the concept of dieting for the first time. She explains how companies like Victoria’s Secret made her hate her body.
25. “Body Dysmorphia” by RAYE
Song Year: 2023
“Body Dysmorphia” is the tenth track on My 21st Century Blues, a 2023 album by RAYE. The British singer made waves with the album, and “Body Dysmorphia” is one of her most popular tracks.
RAYE sings about disliking her weight, facial features, and drug problems. In the slow pop-R&B fusion track, she addresses the psychological toll body issues can have on a person.
26. “You’re On Your Own Kid” by Taylor Swift
Song Year: 2022
Taylor Swift tackles body image in her 2022 track, “You’re On Your Own Kid.” As a singer who made it big in the industry when she was just 17, she has much to say about the beauty standard.
Swift discusses her past eating disorder, describing how she starved herself to be more attractive. However, the upbeat song provides hope for the future.
27. “Video” by India Arie
Song Year: 2001
“Video” is about having different physical appearances, such as hairy legs, painted nails, or freckles. India Aire released the song on her debut album Acoustic Soul in 2001, and “Video” soon became popular, helping her reach a wider audience.
Aire wrote the song to address body issues head-on, singing about natural beauty and the power to make your own choices.
28. “Don’t Ever Let Your Children Grow Up” by Maddie Poppe
Song Year: 2016
“Don’t Ever Let Your Children Grow Up” is a song about growing up. It launched in January 2016 as the seventh track from the album Songs from the Basement.
Multi-instrumentalist Maddie Poppe lends her talents to this slow-paced track. The lyrics deal with the body issues facing children as they get older.
29. “Not My Responsibility” by Billie Eilish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIxWngdQ0fQ
Song Year: 2021
Billie Eilish has been in the spotlight since her teen years and often faces comments on her body and fashion style. In “Not My Responsibility,” a quieter song on her 2021 album Happier Than Ever, Eilish talks about body issues and hating your appearance.
The song is a spoken-word track with music by her brother Finneas. It’s about femininity, body size, and the opinions of others.
30. “Pretty Hurts” by Beyonce
Song Year: 2013
Beyonce addresses body issues in the music industry in “Pretty Hurts,” a personal song from her self-titled studio album. It came out on December 13th, 2013, and the song was one of her early hits.
“Pretty Hurts” features production from Ammo and has Beyonce’s signature smooth vocals. It’s about the pain people go through to meet beauty standards.
31. “Male Fantasy” by Billie Eilish
Song Year: 2021
“Male Fantasy” is the 16th track on Happier Than Ever, a 2021 album by American pop singer Billie Eilish. It’s a muted soft-pop track about the male gaze and female body issues.
Although men can also experience body issues, Eilish directs her song toward struggling women in this track. She sings about how the current beauty ideal is impossible and even unhealthy.
32. “Breathe Me” by Sia
Song Year: 2003
Sia launched “Breathe Me” as part of her third studio album in 2003. The Australian singer discusses feeling lonely, depressed, and needing a friend in the melancholy pop song.
“Breathe Me” is about the singer’s lowest moments. Sia sings about hating her body to the point of self-harm. However, she reminds us that you can always reach out to people in times of struggle.
33. “Fat Funny Friend” by Maddie Zahm
Song Year: 2022
“Fat Funny Friend” is a song about body stereotypes. Maddie Zahm sings about how people don’t take her seriously because of her size.
The 2022 song about body issues is the second track of Zahm’s EP You Might Not Like Her, a pop project that deals with themes of insecurities. She sings about her struggles with dieting and her desire for people to see her for who she is.
Top Songs About Hating Your Body, Final Thoughts
Body issues can be destructive and hard to endure. However, these songs about hating your body & body issues show that many people have these thoughts, and disliking your body is often part of the human experience.
Thanks for reading this round-up of the best song about hating your body. We hope you share with your friends!