Rita Ora has a new song out, it’s called Girls and features Cardi B, Bebe Rexha and Charli XCX.
Ora hopes the song will be received as a “bisexual anthem” and it initially was for her fans but others were quick to question the message behind the lyrics pointing out that it sexualises and simplifies queer women.
The song, reportedly inspired by Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl, features a chorus line of “Sometimes, I just wanna kiss girls, girls, girls / Red wine, I just wanna kiss girls, girls, girls…” Certain lyrics also play on stereotypical notions of bisexuality with lyrics like “I ain’t one-sided, I’m opened minded / I’m fifty-fifty”.
Singer-songwriter Kehlani took to her twitter to express her concern over the lyrics:
https://twitter.com/Kehlani/status/995051895944200192
https://twitter.com/Kehlani/status/995052313529090048
https://twitter.com/Kehlani/status/995059727535980544
Cardi B’s verse in particular is just plain awkward and quite frankly crap:
I steal your bitch, have her down with the scissor,
Tonight, I don’t want a dog, I want a kitten,
I might French a girl from Great Britain.
One viewer on Youtube commented on the video, “You have the opportunity to create something important or change something in the industry and you only show something sexualised. Commercialising LGBT +”.
While another viewer commented:
“We don’t need wine or drugs to want to kiss girls. Being a lesbian or bisexual woman isn’t just something that happens in your early 20s between two thin, sexually enticing women. It’s confusion in your childhood, heart crushing crushes in your teens, having difficulty finding someone who isn’t like these women just wanting to experiment when they’re drunk, finding someone being with them in your late 20’s and onwards. It’s not a ‘just for the night’ thing.”
Singer Haley Kiyoko also used her social media platform to criticise the song lyrics for its harmful effect on the LGBTQI community:
“I know this wasn’t the intention of the artists on the song, but it’s the lack of consideration behind these lyrics that really get me. I don’t need to drink wine to kiss girls; I’ve loved women my entire life. This type of message is dangerous because it completely belittles and invalidates the very pure feelings of an entire community. I feel like I have a responsibility to protect when possible.
We can and should do better.”
You can view Haley’s full post below:
You can judge Girls for yourself here:
