"Royals" racist or just a hit song?
Is "Royals" racism or just a number one hit song?
The debut single "Royals" is the top song on Billboards Hot 100 chart, #1 on Spotify, and the most shared song in the U.S. this year.
Is Lorde's 'Royals,' the top song on the Billboard Hot 100, racist?
But the New Zealand artist Ella Yelich-O'Connor, also known as "Lorde" is under fire after a prominent feminist blogger criticized the 16-year-old for singing racist lyrics.
Take a listen:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcIKh6sBtc&w=560&h=315]
In a post on the prominent feminist blog feministing.com, writer Veronica Bayetti Flores took issue with the song's lyrics, in which Yelich-O'Connor sings that "every song" is about gold teeth and Maybach luxury cars - both fixtures of hip-hop music videos - before concluding "we don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams."
"While I love a good critique of wealth accumulation and inequity, this song is not one; in fact, it is deeply racist," wrote Bayetti Flores. "Because we all know who she's thinking when we're talking gold teeth, Cristal (champagne) and Maybachs. So why s*** on black folks? Why s*** on rappers?"
Outfront: AJ Hammer, host of HLN's "Showbiz Tonight."
On Twitter
So glad I'm not into the crap kiddie music they churn out these days!
So sick of people playing the race card....it's only lazy excuse makers looking for relevance in society. Do something productive, get a job, be responsible members of society. And, Erin, I love you, but quit the race baiting. Isn't it interesting you never hear Hispanics or Asians playing the race card. Why? Because they're TOO BUSY WORKING!!!
Bob, are you serious?? I won't even bother addressing the bigotry laced in your comment, but rather ask who exactly are you saying is playing the race card? Neither Erin Burnett nor Veronica Bayetti Flores are members of the 'lazy' group you allude to.
Erin is a Race baiter why don't you guys get this, she will pick race fights every chance she gets.
"Take away the quick judgement. Listen to the song. Listen to it's intent... If there's thought & there's intelligence & there's reason & logic behind it, then maybe you have to deal with everything like that." (Jay-Z)
I think they maybe reading way too deep into this one. It's all in how you look at it... Jay-Z once said to take "those lyrics, pull them away from the music, and put them up on a wall somewhere so someone had to look at them." And by that basis, seems like Lorde is labeling Sean Carter & Beyonce Knowles as some kinda 21st Century royalty. Some kinda Camelot...
So I guess it just comes down to how you choose to see things.