20 iconic all-female collaborations

On Brandy’s debut single, “I Wanna Be Down,” she sings about her infatuation with a potential partner. For the remix, Brandy got to team up with some of the hottest female MCs in the game: Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Yo-Yo. During the time, mixing R&B with hip-hop was a match made in Heaven, a method that still works like a charm to this day. 

Nothing says the ultimate female collaboration like “Lady Marmalade.” Different kinds of artists from different genres worked so seamlessly when Missy Elliott got Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, and Pink to team up on the Moulin Rouge single. Even the lyrics give a womanhood and sisterhood vibe as they sing, “Hey sister, go sister / Better get that dough, sister.”

Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston want people to have faith on their 1998 single “When You Believe.” As the lead single from the The Prince of Egypt soundtrack, the Babyface-produced track was essential for listeners to believe in miracles. The song became a top-20 single on the Billboard Hot 100. 

There is no doubt that Madonna is one of the most iconic figures in pop music, and in 2003, fellow pop girlie Britney Spears got the chance to work with her idol. Spears’ single “Me Against The Music” finds the two singing about how music always keeps them moving on the dance floor. 

In 1997, Lil’ Kim wanted to get an all-star female collaboration on deck, and she did just that with “Not Tonight.” She teamed up with Angie Martinez, Da Brat, Left-Eye, and Missy Elliott for one of the most fun collaborations in hip-hop history. Not only did each rapper bring their core essence to the track, but the song helped represent that iconic artists can come together and make magic.

Sometimes, when different genres collide, it just works. Eve and Gwen Stefani showed the world that hip-hop and pop can make magic on “Let Me Blow Your Mind.” Stefani has always showcased a cool persona, and the chemistry was seamless between her and Eve. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Throughout Beyoncé’s career, she’s always experimented with different sounds. She teamed up with Shakira on their hit single “Beautiful Liar,” which mixed more Latin and Arabic sounds with Beyoncé’s R&B element. Not to mention, the video had plenty of viewers wanting to belly dance in front of their televisions.

Even though fans have been waiting years for Cardi B to drop her sophomore album, she’s still releasing great collaborations. In 2020, she teamed up with Megan Thee Stallion on their single “WAP.” While some critics may have thought the song was a bit too raunchy, real fans realize that it’s more of a woman’s empowerment anthem. 

In 2014, Iggy Azalea released her debut album, The New Classic. She teamed up with Charli XCX on the No. 1 hit single “Fancy.” The song matched perfectly with the music video, which was inspired by scenes from the 1995 film Clueless.  

Janelle Monae, who shared they identify as non-binary in 2022, and Erykah Badu have always been the type of artists to exude Black girl magic. It was only fitting that the two teamed up on the 2013 single “Q.U.E.E.N.” On the track, Monae and Badu encourage listeners to always show up unapologetically, no matter what people may say. 

Brandy and Monica came onto the R&B scene around the same time, and fans seemed to favor one over the other with their vocal styles. In 1998, the two teamed up on their biggest hit single to date, “The Boy Is Mine.” It’s the perfect track about two women dealing with the same unfaithful man. 

In 1993, hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa teamed up with girl group En Vogue on their hit single “Whatta Man.” On the track, the MCs describe how they’ve met their perfect man, and they want to world to know it. As En Vogue sings on the hook, “Whatta man, whatta man, whatta man / What a mighty good man.” 

Whitney Houston was not only an advocate for fellow singers, but she also loved to collaborate with them. In 1998, she teamed up with R&B powerhouse vocalists Faith Evans and Kelly Price on her hit single “Heartbreak Hotel.” On the track, they sing about dealing with a partner’s infidelities, which causes them emotional distress. 

In 2021, Doja Cat released her critically acclaimed album Planet Her. The album spawned several singles, including the SZA-assisted track “Kiss Me More.” On the track, the two sing about being intimate with their partners, but they really love sharing kisses.  

The pop world was ready to explode when Lady Gaga teamed up with Beyoncé on their 2010 single “Telephone.” On the track, they tell the story of dealing with a partner who continues to call them on the phone, but instead of picking up the call, they rather keep partying on the dance floor.

In 2004, Gwen Stefani teamed up with Eve for a second time on her hit single “Rich Girl.” Produced by Dr. Dre, Stefani uses the track to talk about how lavish she could live if she were rich. As Stefani sings in the first verse, “Think what money could bring / I’d buy everything / Clean out Vivienne Westwood / In my Galliano gown.” 

In 2014, Jessie J teamed up with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj on her hit single “Bang Bang.” On the track, the women highlight their confidence in their bodies and sexually pleasing a partner. As Jessie sings in the first verse, “She got a body like an hourglass / But I can give it to you all the time / She got a booty like a Cadillac / But I can send you into overdrive.”

When people hear the beginning of the Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer duet “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough),” the song initially sounds like a ballad. But after the first two minutes, it turns into a dance-heavy disco track in which the woman details how relationships can go wrong.

In 2014, Nicki Minaj teamed up with Beyoncé on her hit track “Feeling Myself.” Produced by Hit-Boy and co-written by SZA, the track finds Minaj and Bey tooting their own horns. The song beams with confidence that is sure to put any listener in a better mood. 

Sometimes, people need to hear songs to help them deal with grief. Brandy teamed up with Tamia, Gladys Knight, and Chaka Khan on her 1996 track “Missing You.” On the track, they sing about losing a loved one as they reminisce on good times and try to push forward in life without them physically present.