Cardi B is not just a rapper; she’s everything we needed, just when we needed it. And “Bodak Yellow” is not just the banger of the year; it’s an unignorable antithesis to a political landscape built around xenophobia, racism, and sexism. The first solo female rap track to hit No. 1 in nearly 20 years, it emboldened many of the people—especially women of color—who were marginalized for the very things that anchor the Afro-Latina star’s impenetrable pride. It let them lift their middle fingers a little higher and shout a little louder over the voices that wished them silent. All year long, Cardi B was a mesmerizing display of what it looks like to win without having to code-switch or shrink, and “Bodak Yellow” was her blaring anthem of purpose.

By now, the story of Cardi B’s rise is legend: A fed-up grocery store cashier quits her job to become a stripper, then parlays Vine and Instagram notoriety into reality TV stardom before achieving ubiquitous fame with her first single for a major label. Could there be a more modern depiction of the American Dream? That “Bodak Yellow” was the flash point makes the victory even sweeter: It’s full of charismatic bravado, endless flex, and abundant joy. Cardi’s cadence, inspired by Kodak Black’s “No Flockin,” is injected with her unfuckwithable energy, as authentic as it is contagious, igniting a blend of enraptured aggression and bona fide club hysteria.

Her voice is fiery and insistent, her Spanish-hued Bronx accent clipping and languishing as she offers clever wordplay about getting head and getting paid; even without knowing her hard-hustling rise, the celebration in her voice has an inclusive edge. Her braggy lines also belie a thoughtful core. Cardi may be on top, shuffling through praise, diamonds, and dudes at her whim, but in her glee she’s opening the door to her listeners, her sisters: This lifestyle, or any triumph they so choose, feels like it may just be in their reach, too.

On and off wax—in a wholly demoralizing year that still became, indisputably, hers—Cardi B owned who she was. Her confidence, which disallows shame and silence, spilled into “Bodak Yellow” and created a perfect storm: a song that feels good from someone who rose to dominance at a time when women and their stories were simultaneously under attack and given more cultural space. At its heart, Cardi’s breakout demands that its listeners reclaim their power, jumping over all barriers of race, class, and gender. She did it. And while there’s still a long way to go for many like her, her existence and this song served as beacons across 2017, liberating us from our own realities, four minutes at a time. –Briana Younger

Listen: Cardi B, “Bodak Yellow”