Chris Brown‘s history with violence against women shouldn’t be news to anyone. This has allegedly continued even after his attack on Rihanna with a woman claiming she was punched in the face by Brown earlier this year. Last year’s planned tour of Australia caused a huge uproar and a consequential cancellation, thanks to his abusive behaviour and awful, self-righteous attitude, among other things.
Unsurprisingly, the themes in his song Back To Sleep are making some of us feel very uncomfortable.
Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino has expressed her disgust for the song itself, as well as the fact that it has been in the Billboard Top 100 charts for 17 weeks, on Twitter. She describes it as a song that “perpetuates rape culture” with lyrics like “just let me rock, fuck you back to sleep girl, don’t say a word no, girl don’t you talk.”
Just that small passage is enough to make us cringe.
"just let me rock, fuck you back to sleep girl, don't say a word no, girl don't you talk" are lyrics to the chorus of a VERY popular song
— Best Coast (@BestCoast) April 17, 2016
You already know how I feel about Chris Brown – but WHY/HOW are those lyrics ok? Cool, a song that perpetuates rape culture being a hit.
— Best Coast (@BestCoast) April 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/BestCoast/status/721746003183833088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
This isn't just about that idiot tho- the fact that's a song in popular culture that some A&R person was like "this is great" saddens me
— Best Coast (@BestCoast) April 17, 2016
She slammed Billboard‘s review of the album it features on, which refers to his music as a “stellar collection of panty-dropping and baby-making songs.” She gave them a more truthful alternative.
.@billboard's review of that song "excels as a quality addition to his catalog’s stellar collection of panty-dropping and baby-making songs"
— Best Coast (@BestCoast) April 17, 2016
How about this for a review: singing about fucking a girl back to sleep/telling her dont say a word is singing about rape + it's disgusting
— Best Coast (@BestCoast) April 17, 2016
She finished off by reminding everyone of the big issues of rape culture and the treatment of women in society. She encourages us to find the part of the song where he asks for consent as any respectful human being would.
Last thing then I'm out- it's an issue even if someone else was singing those lyrics. Rape culture is everywhere + it's a BIG problem.
— Best Coast (@BestCoast) April 17, 2016
https://t.co/4xFVUxkN1z SHOW ME WHERE HE ONCE ASKS THE WOMAN IF ITS OK TO WAKE HER UP WITH SEX? NO, HES TELLING HER HE'S GOING TO DO IT.
— Best Coast (@BestCoast) April 17, 2016
Read some of Cosentino’s insights into sexism in the music industry from social media and a personal essay.
Image: Pitchfork