Tag Archives: A Year Later

OPINION

A Year Later: Girls (Rita Ora Collab)

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“Girls” is a song by British singer Rita Ora, collaborating and featuring American rapper Cardi B, American singer Bebe Rexha and British singer Charli XCX. The single was released on May 11th in 2018 by Atlantic Records.

The song was written by Ora, Klenord Raphael, Ali Tamposi, Rexha, Jonny Coffer, Jordan Thorpe, Belcalis Almanzar, Brian Lee, Watt and Benjamin Diehl, while the production was handled by Ben Billions, Coffer and Watt.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BikBEb3HSp5/?utm_source=ig_embed

When Rita Ora announced that she was going to do collab alongside a fabulous trio of female artists such as Charli XCX, Bebe Rexha and Cardi B announced that they were going to be releasing a new song entitled ‘Girls’ which was going to explore female sexuality let’s just say that queer women were excited. 

The collaboration was announced on May 4th. Rita Ora described the song as an “empowering anthem”:

“These past few years I’ve been so inspired by all the strong women I’ve seen who aren’t afraid to be themselves. For those who aren’t afraid to rule the world, this is our anthem. A celebration of love. And of course, thank you to all the fellow boss women who so kindly graced this song with me — each representing who they are and where they are from […]”

The song, itself is mostly “tone deaf” lyrics, have been met with fierce criticism from bisexual and queer women. The song suggests that female sexuality is fluid, that when Rita Ora meets “Lara”, has a bit too much “Red wine” whilst “Kush lovin” and she just has to kiss her.

CONTROVERSY

The song attracted criticism, rather than praise, from notable queer women such as Hayley Kiyoko, who renounced the song as doing more harm than good to the LGBTQ+ community and catering towards male sexual fantasies.

The backlash prompted Rita Ora and Cardi B to exclusively “come out” and confirm they have had relationships with both women and men. Bebe Rexha has dismissed labels altogether and hit back by saying “Do you have to be fully lesbian to put out a song about kissing girls?” Rexha’s question is slightly insensitive as she fails to mention bisexuality as a legitimate sexual identity, preferring to argue that everyone’s sexuality is fluid.

I never understood why Rita Ora or any of the other artists featured on the song had to come out in order to justify the song, no queer person should have to do this in order to be respected by the community. However, it cannot be denied that identifying as “queer” is rising in popularity with some people viewing it as a fashion statement rather than a legitimate identity. The amount of people who identify as LGBTQ+ is increasing, with many young people saying that they are sexually fluid.

The song itself has elements of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” have been carried on a decade later with the insinuation that alcohol and drugs lead Rita Ora to kiss girls. I completely agree with Hayley Kiyoko – there is definitely an implication here that women only kiss other women when they are drunk. On Twitter, people were defending the use of alcohol/drug influence when it came to having the confidence to tell someone that they’re attractive. However, there is a fine line between alcohol as a social lubricant and alcohol as a social crutch. In all honesty, it’s an unhealthy relationship to have if you need to be intoxicated in order to feel confident in your sexuality, and to then pull a member of the same sex as well.

 Another artist that came out about their thoughts about the song was Kehlani, an artist who describes herself as queer, called the artists out on social media for their derogatory language and use of slurs in the song. Basically, Cardi B used the term “scissoring” in her rap. I thought that we’d gotten over the fact that depictions of women in this sexual position were created to please men when they watch porn. Whilst it is not unheard of in the queer women community, scissoring works for some women and not for others, there is a lot of ignorance surrounding this topic and many people, queer and straight alike, believe that is the only way women have sex with each other. So a mainstream song like this does not help educate people very well at all.

Probably, the most frustrating aspect about this whole thing, is that the song, and apologies for the allusion to another problematic tune, blurs the lines over what bisexuality actually is. Biphobia and bisexual erasure is a problem that does exist in straight and queer places alike. We’ve all tried to forget about t.A.T.u.’s fake relationship or the fact that another famous pop-star Jessie J claimed that her bisexuality was simply a phase. 

MUSIC VIDEO

The music video for “Girls” was released on 6 June 2018. That video pushed me, and I am sure many more people who could understand both sides of the argument, right over the edge.

From start to finish, there are issues. The first shots are a bit like an opium den with amazing foliage, filled with semi-naked women, wearing barely there, flesh coloured nightie things. A lot of stroking and sultry looks with cuts to shots of fruits and orchids and other sort of vagina type things. I can tell you from personal experience, that is not what female same sex situations are like. Uh oh, the male gaze strikes again.

Then there are lots of women running through the woods, kissing mirrors (well, maybe I have done that by mistake), holograms of Cardi B (Cardi, you’re my girl for life), and of course the controversial kiss.


All in all, the video sadly debunked any previous apologies or assertions that “Girls” is a song for the bisexual female community. It proved that often messages claiming to be on our side actually do more harm than good.

The song itself seems to be more was like a repeat of Katy Perry’s hit, it is meant to be an embrace of bisexuality however, their depiction is murky. As much as the artists “good intentions” and their defenders denial of this fact, people are going to equate kissing women with being intoxicated because that is exactly what this song alludes to. Also, let’s forget women kissing women for a second. How women about loving women? How about women having sex with women? How about women dreaming about women? Artists are wanting to explore the tantalising image of two women kissing, but never really go further to actively support the LGBTQ+ community, but don’t seem to have much of a good direction to really go about it.

OPINION, Uncategorized

A Year Later: “Invasion of Privacy” Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary

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Invasion of Privacy is the debut studio album by Bronx, New York rapper Cardi B. It was released on April 6, 2018, by Atlantic Records. While primarily a hip hop record, Invasion of Privacy also has mixes of trap, Latin and R&B.

Invasion of Privacy honestly, did had a lot to live up to with a lot of people. After the major success hit that was “Bodak Yellow,” and “Bartier Cardi” people were asking for fully-fledged Cardi B album. The album was planned ahead and Cardi was hard at work on it all throughout 2017 and bits of 2018. The album finally got released to the general plublic as of 2018.

The album was filled with so many big and potential hits such as, “I Like It,” “Be Careful,” “Bartier Cardi,” and “Ring.” If there was ever any pressure to live up to “Bodak Yellow” though, Cardi instead, she takes every opportunity and showed her doubters that they can all eat crow! The way she raps on this album executed with so much confidence and charm, but with Invasion of Privacy she seizes her seat on the rap throne through punishing, unrelenting taunts. She’s fully self-aware and seemingly unstoppable.

The production of the album is also very amazing and has a lot of variety in messing with different sounds. A record daring enough to produce something like “Bartier Cardi,” an R&B-infused song with “Ring,” and the quiet prowler and sleep-hitter “Thru Your Phone,” Invasion of Privacy never shrinks away from a potential risk, delivering hugely satisfying payoffs. With Latin trap sensation Bad Bunny and reggae star J Balvin for the Latin sound hit with “I Like It,” Cardi reworks Pete Rodriguez’s classic into a cross-cultural block party, bilingual and welcoming.

And of course you can never go wrong with a Pat-sampling “Bickenhead” reimagines the original as another great get-money anthem, leaning into the same inflections and cadences, but with a female-focused Cardi spin.

Some of my favorite tracks from Invasion of Privacy:

GET UP 10

What a great start for a debut album! I wonder how Meek felt when he had first hear this track. I’m sure he would’ve been proud, (I say this, considering he was still in jail at the time)! Cardi B released this album just to let all her naysayers hear this message loud and clear before taking their necks off. I need Flex bombs. Drop all the bombs!

Bickenhead

Another BANGER! This song was almost everywhere in every woman’s Instagram captin during the remainder of spring/summer back in 2018! This song needs more recognition! Like seriously, every line is an Instagram caption or a Twitter quote. Cardi might be a genius for this one. So simple yet so effective.

Bodak Yellow

Of course, you probably can’t mention Imvasion of Privacy without mentioning it’s BIGGEST hit! Bodak Yellow, though “I Like It” may actually want a word with that statement, still though this is the song that made Cadi a star! It would almost be wrong to not give it a mention here! “Bodak Yellow” is just one of those records that you can’t resist but to rap.
There’s a naturalness to how she rides this beat. All the energy, all the punch, but she doesn’t lose her grace.

MONEY BAG

I feel like this song gets a bit of unneccesary hate, but I don’t care I like it! No pun intended on that one! This is one of those many songs that has trap elements in it. Also, I got Florida vibes when it came to this song, maybe Cardi probably loves Florida rap, word to Trina!

BEST LIFE

I was honestly so surprised to see a Chance feature on here! It actually made me even more happy that the features were kept secret for a while. Cardi’s verse once again, was more of Instagram caption.
I really like this Cardi verse. She admits she exposed herself to the world. She is hip-hop’s Cinderella. I love it, more of an underrated track from the album.

Of course, we can’t talk about this album without naming off some accolades that its received throughout the past year of 2108! It debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200, earning 255K units in its first week, with 103K coming from pure album sales.

Cardi celebrating “Invasion of Privacy’s Anniversary via Instagram!

It has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It produced five singles—”Bodak Yellow”, “Bartier Cardi” featuring 21 Savage, “Be Careful”, “I Like It” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, and “Ring” featuring Kehlani. “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It” have both reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first female rapper to achieve multiple chart-toppers.

The album set multiple streaming records, while all the thirteen tracks entered the Hot 100—all except the lead single charted simultaneously in the debut week. She became the first female artist to have all tracks from an album certified gold or higher by the RIAA.

Invasion of Privacy won Best Rap Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, with Cardi B becoming the first female rapper to win the category as a solo artist. It was also nominated for Album of the Year, with “I Like It” being nominated for Record of the Year and “Be Careful” for Best Rap Performance. “Bodak Yellow” was nominated for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for the previous ceremony.

Again, I can’t believe that it’s been a year since Invasion of Privacy has released! After all the pushbacks this album had, because if you remembered back in 2017, it was going to be released in October of that year. Then again, maybe it was good that she ended up waiting after all for an overall killer project. Of all the albums last year it’s still one of the many albums that I still listen to almost on a daily!

If anything “Invasion of Privacy” single handedly solidified Cardi as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry, even with multiple publications calling the album a “classic” and “one of the most powerful debuts” esepcially by a female rapper ever!