Some lyrics were established romantic tropes. Some lyrics feel particularly icky in hindsight because of allegations against the artists singing them: R Kelly’s “Bump n Grind” (“I know just what you want / And I know just what you need, girl”) takes on more sinister connotations following the widely publicised sexual abuse allegations made against him in 2018. Sex is a constant in pop lyrics, and before #MeToo pop music was rife with references to troublesome dynamics that we are now more willing – and able – to name. “Blurred Lines” was a watershed moment in 2013 precisely because its lyrical content didn’t seem that different from other pop music. What a pleasure it is to degrade a woman.’” Pharell himself told Pitchfork that critics of the video “just want to be mad”. In a 2013 interview with the same magazine, Thicke said, “People say, ‘Hey, do you think this is degrading to women?’ I’m like, ‘Of course it is. Of course, at the time, Pharrell and many others claimed not to understand why the song caused such controversy. The writer of “Blurred Lines” has, six years later, denounced it. – who pledged to “give you something big enough to tear your ass in two” – and rapper and producer Pharrell Williams, who this week stated in a GQ cover interview that he now realises that the song “catered to” the “chauvinist culture in our country”, and that he felt embarrassed by his past work. The backlash was widespread: it was banned from being played on several UK university campuses, YouTube removed the explicit version of the video, and the Guardian dubbed it “the most controversial song of the decade”. That pop song was Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”, and the time was 2013. It was number one in the UK for five weeks in a row. It had a popular music video featuring three slim, topless female models, dancing playfully around two suited men, who sing “I know you want it” as the models wink, giggle and toss their hair. It suggested that women were “bitches” and “animals”, and something a man could “take”. The pop song told us that sexual consent is a grey area. Williams spoke to GQ for its issue about the evolution of masculinity and what it means today.Once upon a time, a pop song was released. Williams and Thicke had been accused of copyright infringement due to the song’s similarities to Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.” Late last year, a five-year legal battle over the copyright of the song ended in the family of Marvin Gaye being awarded $5 million. Didn’t realize that some of my songs catered to that.” He added: “I realized that we live in a chauvinist culture in our country. Even though it wasn’t the majority, it didn’t matter.” “My mind opened up to what was actually being said in the song and how it could make someone feel. Then, he said, “I realized that there are men who use that same language when taking advantage of a woman, and it doesn’t matter that that’s not my behavior. In particular, the song’s use of the phrase “I know you want it” dismissed the importance of consent.Īt the time, Williams told GQ, he “didn’t get it,” in part because he knew women who enjoyed the song and connected to its energetic spirit. and Williams, drew criticism for containing lyrics that some perceived to be promoting rape culture. In 2013 the popular song, performed by Robin Thicke, rapper T.I. The controversy over the lyrics to “Blurred Lines” wasn’t always clear to Pharrell Williams, but it is now.
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