Making Me A Fighter

     The Katy Perry phase I mentioned in my last post was centered around one song in particular, "Who Am I Living For?" I'd be lying if I said this wasn't because the lyrics reminded me so much of Daenerys Targaryen, the most empowering character of all-time ever and my khaleesi for the rest of my days, from the HBO show Game of Thrones and George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series.

I mean, look at these lyrics:

"It's never easy to be chosen, never easy to be called,

Standing on the front lines when the bombs start to fall. 

I can see the heavens, but I still hear the flames calling out my name."

     Inspired by this, I devised plans for a playlist about Daenerys in my travel journal, originally titled "Dany, Pop Princess." Obviously, the title had to go, but the theme remained the same: empowering pop powerhouses to narrate Daenery's rise to complete badassery.

I'm proud to finally present, Making Me A Fighter.

Making Me A Fighter from reservoirsnogs on 8tracks Radio.

      I'm very proud of this fanmix (which also makes an excellent workout playlist, I might add), and all of the thought I put into selecting each song and determining the order of its appearance. I'm also quite happy with the artwork I designed for it. With that in mind, I'll quickly take you through some of the choices I made.  

Season One

1) Rootless - Marina and the Diamonds. Chosen to match the fleeing of Dany and her brother, "The Beggar King." Though Daenerys expresses a deep desire to go home, nothing resembling 'home' exists anymore.
2) Who Am I Living for? - Katy Perry. Chosen to show the frightening but truthful feeling Dany has that perhaps there is greatness in store for her.

3) Domesticated - VersaEmerge. Chosen because though Daenerys is the wife of a Khal, she was never meant to just be "someone's wife." The Iron Throne is not meant for her brother or her son, even; it's for her.

4) My Blood - Ellie Goulding. Chosen for Dany's decision to trade her son and succumb to dark magic in an effort to save her husband.

5) Drive My Soul - Lights. Chosen for the realization that it is time to let go of her husband, as afraid as she may be.

6) Last Hope - Paramore. Chosen for Daenerys' emergence from the flames with her newborn dragons at the end of Season One.

 

 Season Two 

7) Scared of Lonely - Beyoncé. Chosen for Daenerys' desperation and fear for the death of, or abandonment by, her khalasar at the start of this season. 

8) You've Got Time - Regina Spektor. Chosen because of the lyrics, "Remember all their faces, remember all their voices. Everything is different the second time around." She must appear strong and take risks to save her people. There is no one to save her and her khalasar but Daenerys herself.

9) The Outsider - Marina and the Diamonds. Chosen to show Dany's relationship to Qarth and its people.     

10) Dreams So Real - Metric. Chosen for Daenerys' journey through the House of the Undying. Though she sees strange visions and loved ones from the grave, she must suppress fear and continue on by herself.  

11) Bring Me Down - Kanye West.  Chosen to illustrate Daenery's final push into the realm of a royal mindset. When Pyat Pree, Xaro Xhoan Daxos and (in the show) Doreah think they can betray her, she punishes them ruthlessly and regains her power, along with her dragons. I especially think the lyrics, "They gon' have to take my life before they take my drive, 'cause when I was barely livin', that's what kept me alive" applies to Dany. She came from nothing, and will persevere. 

 Season Three

12) Fighter - Christina Aguilera. If I had to pick one anthem for Daenerys, it would be this. Everything she's been through has made her both badass and fiercely compassionate. She began as a meek little girl, learned to stand up for herself, and evolved into a legendary and insanely inspiring Fighter. 

13) Beat It - Michael Jackson. Chosen to illustrate the way in which men try to fight Daenerys. I love the lyric, "Don't wanna see no blood, don't be a macho man," because Dany always gives men the option to surrender peacefully, but their masculine pride leads to their downfall.

14) Bring the Noize - M.I.A. Mainly chosen for the lyric, "Just 'cause I'm a mum don't make me thick." Daenerys' compassion and motherly character traits only make her stronger, though ignorant opponents perceive them as signs of weakness. And so, she is ready to crush them into dust.

15) One Beat - Sleater-Kinney. Chosen because I find this song to be very empowering. The song instrumentally and vocally sounds so powerful. Lyrics on the topic of rising and discovering don't hurt either.

16) Handlebars - Flobots. Chosen to match the immensity of Daenerys' string of conquers in the last season. If she wants to do something, she will sure as hell achieve it. And with her track record of freeing slaves, stopping rapes, and having an unfailing aura of chosenness throughout the show, the lyrics "my cause is noble, my power is pure" fit all too well.

     Maybe it's strange that I put this much effort into a playlist, but I'm very proud of this creation. I have never been empowered by a character like I have been by Daenerys Targaryen, the impact of which is made even more meaningful by the fact that one time I heard Emilia Clarke say in an interview that if one woman felt empowered by Dany, then she'd done her job. I'm that one woman, and there are thousands of more just like me. I've said it once and I'll say it again: I watch the scene of Daenerys buying and then freeing the army of the Unsullied every time I need to get pumped up for something. Afterward, I feel like I can climb Everest. And I caught up with seasons one and two of Game of Thrones simply because I saw the scene and wanted to know the context surrounding it. Dany means a lot to me, and my love for her keeps swelling as I make my way through the first book. I hope you take a listen and enjoy!

♥ Happy Listening ♥