Slut-shaming, sexism, assumption… It’s all here in these classics.
Eamon, "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)"
Back in 2003 it was ~cool~ to like this song, but listening to it in 2015, all you hear is rampant misogyny. Not only does Eamon slut-shame his ex-girlfriend by telling everyone she gave someone head, he also angrily refers to her as a "ho" six times, and takes things up a notch by also calling her a "burned bitch".
In fact, not only does he repeatedly tell his ex-girlfriend to go fuck herself, he also berates himself for "loving a ho". It's pretty clear that he's quite angry with everyone involved in this saga – himself, his ex, and whoever she gave head to – but it's the vitriol directed at his ex and the song's abusive refrain that's by far the worst.
At least Frankee stood up for all the girls with her response.
Enrique Iglesias, "Tonight I'm Fucking You"
Remember the lyric "I know you want it" from Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines", which caused uproar because it was deemed to encourage rape culture?
Well, "Tonight I'm Fucking You" opens with the lyric "I know you want me", despite quickly making it clear that there is actual PHYSICAL SPACE between the two individuals and therefore absolutely no conversation, let alone consent.
Later in the song comes the line: "You know my motivation / Given my reputation", before the chorus, which consists solely of the phrase: "Tonight I'm fucking you."
This phrase, loaded with presumption, is repeated a total 14 times throughout the song.
There is absolutely no reference to the woman in the song feeling the same way. In fact, we only hear about her in relation to him, with the lines: "I know you want me," and "Now rock your body / Damn I like the way that you move / So give it to me / 'Cause I already know what you wanna do."
Do you though? Do you really?
Usher, "Love in This Club"
Similarly, this song involves a guy seeing a girl he likes the look of in a club and deciding that OF COURSE she wants him based purely on what he sees, without any form of actual, you know, conversation with her.
It features the line: "Looking in your eyes / While you're on the other side / You're doing it on purpose, wind it and work it / I can tell by the way that you're looking at me girl."
Because guys are actual mind readers, in case we weren't all aware by now.
As with "Tonight I'm Fucking You", the woman in question is then essentially told that she has to comply with what the guy wants, with Usher repeatedly telling her he wants to have sex right there and now.
I'm sorry, Usher, but it's probably more likely that she was just out having fun with her friends and not looking to bone anyone in a nightclub, so can you not.
Busted, "Who's David"
This may have been one of Busted's biggest ever singles back in 2004, but it's essentially three minutes of intense slut-shaming.
The first verse attacks the girl in question for being flirtatious and wearing makeup: "You've always been this way since high school / Flirtatious and quite loud / I find your sense of humour spiteful / It shouldn't make you proud / And I know your pretty face gets far with guys / But your makeup ain't enough to hide the lies."
But BOY do they lose it when they reach the chorus: "Are you sure that you're mine? / Aren't you dating other guys? / You're so cheap / And I'm not blind / You're not worthy of my time / Somebody saw, you sleep around the town / And I've got proof because the word's going around."
The second verse involves the guy in the song going through the girl's text messages (what a dick move) and then proceeds to slut-shame her a bit more: "I hated what I saw / You stupid lying bitch, who's David? / Some guy who lives next door / So go live in the house of David if you like / But be sure he don't know Peter, John, or Mike."
The song ends with the refrain: "Don't like you", but let's face it, the feeling is probably mutual.
Peter Jordan / EMPICS Sports Photo Agency
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