Top 10 Epic All Female Collaboration Songs
These are the best all female collaboration songs! For this list, we are looking at the greatest female duets and collaborations in music history. While the quality of the track is important, the collaboration's cultural significance will also be taken into account. We've included songs like “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX, “Beautiful Liar” by Beyoncé & Shakira, “Give Me All Your Luvin' by Madonna feat. M.I.A, & Nicki Minaj and more!
#10: “Fancy” (2014)
Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX
Covered by the Killers and - of all people - Gary Oldman, this collaboration helped turn its young performers into household names. The fourth single from Iggy Azalea's debut album, “Fancy” was a huge commercial success and held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. Awarded 2014's most-streamed song on Spotify, as well as a Grammy nod for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, “Fancy”'s infectious chorus and awesome music video, which parodied 1995's “Clueless”, ensured the track was everywhere! Even though XCX had previously landed in the top-ten, both musicians were relatively unknown at the time, which only made Fancy's success even more impressive.
#9: “Give Me All Your Luvin'” (2012)
Madonna feat. M.I.A, & Nicki Minaj
While a mere footnote in the Madonna’s long and storied career, MDNA's lead single still marked a significant moment in recent music history. Bridging the gap between mainstream pop and rap, Madonna teamed up with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. for a high-energy romp filled with football chants and the singer's trademark extravagance. Acting as a commercial for Madonna's upcoming album and her Super Bowl appearance, Minaj and M.I.A. are literally turned into cheerleaders to bask in the Pop Queen's presence. “Give Me All Your Luvin'” definitely makes the most out of its unusual trio.
#8: “Beautiful Liar” (2006)
Beyoncé & Shakira
A collaboration so good, the song needed to be released in multiple languages. A single recorded for the deluxe edition of Beyoncé's B'Day album, “Beautiful Liar” seamlessly blends Queen B's usual contemporary R&B preferences with Shakira's Latin style to create a female empowerment anthem for the ages. After falling in love with the same man, the powerful ladies opt to move on as the guy is not worth the effort. Bringing together two of the industry's greatest singers, unsurprisingly, “Beautiful Liar” earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
#7: "Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)" (1997)
Lil’ Kim feat. Angie Martinez, Left Eye, Da Brat, & Missy Elliott
Originally featured on Lil' Kim's 1996 debut album, a year later, “Not Tonight” received a remix version that celebrated gender empowerment and sisterhood. Sampling Kool & the Gang's “Ladies' Night”, the remix surrounded Lil' Kim with some of the biggest women performers of the 90s, mainly: Da Brat, Missy Elliott, Angie Martinez, and Lisa Lopes. While the song formed part of the soundtrack for the Martin Lawrence film “Nothing to Lose”, the music video helped promote a slew of other female celebrities, with the likes of Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige making an appearance.
#6 “Me Against the Music” (2003)
Britney Spears feat. Madonna
What happens when the Pop Queen meets the Pop Princess? If your answer was "Dance Club Magic," then this entry should come as no surprise. The lead single from Britney Spears' fourth studio album, “Me Against the Music” allows the two stars to trade lines before Madonna takes charges for the bridge. While the song peaked at only number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was overshadowed by Spears' other mega hit, “Toxic”, “Me Against the Music” is still an energetic and bombastic club song that finds Madonna and Britney Spears at the height of their powers.
#5: “When You Believe’ (1998)
Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey
Created as the big showstopping number for DreamWorks' animated musical, “The Prince of Egypt”, Stephen Schwartz's “When You Believe” won an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 1999 Oscars. Commercially and critically, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston's pop version was only a modest hit - peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 - but, how often does the industry produce a duet featuring two of the greatest vocalists of all time? With a theme of spiritual devotion, “When You Believe” is just on the right side of cheesy.
#4: “Telephone” (2009)
Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé
While hardly a substitute for a terrible track, a fantastic music video can elevate a good song to greatness. There are precious few artists capable of going head-to-head with Lady Gaga, but Beyoncé is definitely one of those rare exceptions. A continuation of the “Paparazzi” music video, Telephone finds the icons starring in a pulpy tribute to “Thelma and Louise”, including a high-speed chase and a couple of dead bodies. For the song itself, “Telephone” is actually about Gaga's fear of failing herself by not working hard enough.
#3: “The Boy Is Mine” (1998)
Brandy & Monica
Hey, if a musician is in need of inspiration, they can do much worse than Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney. Serving as the lead single for both singers' second albums, “The Boy Is Mine” propelled Brandy and Monica to the top of the charts and reigned supreme for a staggering 13-weeks. Centering around two women's mutual interest in the same man, the duet garnered rave reviews and won the duo a Grammy for best R&B performance. As the best selling single of the year, Brandy and Monica's track actually outperformed Jackson and McCartney's “The Girl is Mine”.
#2 “Bang Bang” (2014)
Jessie J, Ariana Grande, & Nicki Minaj
Fiery, sexy, and energetic; this smash hit is the very definition of a triple threat. Partially penned by super songwriter Max Martin, Bang Bang melds the brightest elements from Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj's signature styles to birth a masterpiece of timeless proportions. Launching with Jessie J's bouncy verse before Grande steps in to add a little bit of soul, Bang Bang arguably saves the best for last, as Minaj's rap verse ends the song on an explosive high! Catchy and unforgettable, the music industry would benefit from a couple more Bang Bangs.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Rich Girl” (2004)
Gwen Stefani feat. Eve
“Whatta Man” (1993)
Salt ‘N’ Pepa feat. En Vogue
“No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” (1979)
Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer
#1: “Lady Marmalade” (2001)
Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mýa, & P!nk
The first of two incredible Christina Aguilera and Lil' Kim collaborations, Lady Marmalade actually dates back to the mid-'70s and has spawned countless highly-regarded covers. Included as part of “Moulin Rouge!”'s soundtrack, this bombastic 2001 iteration of the song condensed the grandiosity of Baz Luhrmann's musical into a short five-minute window. Bookended by Missy Elliott and multiplying the raunch factor by tenfold, Lady Marmalade threw caution to the wind to allow its charismatic singers to own the stage. Lasting at the top of the U.S. charts for five weeks, “Moulin Rouge!” could not have asked for a better hype track!