North Carolina Museum Of History Honors Women Of Country Music

The North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh is honoring the women of country music with a special exhibit through April 2.

"The Power of Women in Country Music" exhibit features instruments, costumes and other special content that chronicles the role that women have played in the country music genre.  According to Spectrum News, more than 70 artists are represented, including Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain and Taylor Swift.

Curated by the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, "The Power of Women in Country Music" at the North Carolina Museum of History coincides with Women's History Month.   Visitors can track the rise of women in country music from the early days in the 1940s to international superstardom.

The North Carolina Museum of History is located at 5 East Edenton Street in Raleigh.  Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students with ID.  Minors under the age of 17 are admitted free.

As we kick off Women's Month (March), we wanted to focus on five songs that empower women in country music and all walks of life.

From Lady A to Carrie Underwood, Reba, and the ultimate women's anthem from Shania, we count down what we believe are five of the top songs about powerful women played put in a country song.

It's a perfect song for a lady making her own rules for going out in town. The song's chorus includes the lyrics, "'Cause I feel like a lady / Sippin' on tequila with my Levi's on / A lady / Singin' to the music playin' all night long / Yeah, I'm feeling right, I'm living my life, I do what I like / 'Cause I feel like a lady, a lady."

From the CMA's Album of the Year (2019) of the same name. The song's chorus includes the lyrics, "What you feel is natural / But I don't wanna feel this anymore / Pick yourself up off the kitchen floor / What you waitin' for? / Girl, won't you stop your cryin'? / I know that you're tryin' / Everything's gonna be okay / Baby girl, don't you hang your head low / Don't you lose your halo / Everyone's gonna be okay / Baby girl."

What a powerful song. It was recorded to serve as an opening theme for NBC Sports' Super Bowl LII television broadcast. It was also used for the 2018 Summer Olympics. Carrie recorded the song with Ludacris. The chorus includes the lyrics, "I am invincible, unbreakable / Unstoppable, unshakeable / They knock me down, I get up again / I am the champion, you're gon' know my name / You can't hurt me now, I can't feel the pain / I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win / I am the champion."

Used as the theme song for Reba's CW sitcom, Reba, this song sings of a woman overcoming odds to make it on her own. The chorus includes the lyrics, "The baby girl without a chance / A victim of circumstance / The one who ought a give up, but she's just / Too hard-headed! / A single mom who works two jobs / Who loves her kids and never stops / With gentle hands and a heart of a fighter / I'm a survivor."

"Let's Go girls!" This is the ultimate anthem to empower women. The chorus includes the lyrics, "Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy, forget I'm a lady / Men's shirts, short skirts / Oh, oh, oh, really go wild, yeah, doin' it in style / Oh, oh, oh, get in the action, feel the attraction / Color my hair, do what I dare / Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free, yeah, to feel the way I feel / Man, I feel like a woman (hey!)."