The ÔÇÿBitchÔÇÖ is a constant and repetitive figure within the music industry. Whether she is being denounced as a perpetrator of promiscuity, discarded as money-hungry and manipulative, or paving her way through life on her own terms, the message is clear: It always comes back to the Bitch. Listeners are now immune to a word that, may we remind ourselves, was originally used in the Oxford dictionary to describe a female dog. After all, a bitch births multiple puppies, reflective of the loaded promiscuous interpretation that comes with the label to this day. DonÔÇÖt get it twisted, artists donÔÇÖt just stick to bitches. Whores, hoes, and skanks are also all examples of profane terms that you will find used in your favourite songs in the music climate of today and in the past.┬á┬á
Criteria of what makes someone a Bitch is vast – thankfully for women there is something for all. Outlined as a hoe in Dr. DreÔÇÖs ÔÇ£Bitchez ainÔÇÖt shitÔÇØ and deserving of physical violence in Ice TÔÇÖs ÔÇ£Six in Da morningÔÇØ, she is a character that simply deserves to be put in her place. Fans will dismiss the nature of the term and all that it represents through lazy arguments that they are simply just lyrics and donÔÇÖt hold any power. You might hear echoes of ÔÇ£oh but itÔÇÖs just to make the song sound betterÔÇØ. These terms donÔÇÖt make the song sound any better when you turn towards the violence of the porn industry, or the sexual harassment of women on the streets. Labels turn dangerous when they transfer from the spheres of music into the spheres of society.
Whether you felt threatened, insulted, saddened or angered, you may have used specific labels to demonstrate these emotions at some point in your life. ÔÇ£I canÔÇÖt stand her, she is such a BITCH!ÔÇØ, or in a conversation concerning the sex life of another individual: ÔÇ£Have you heard, sheÔÇÖs a hoe!ÔÇØ. Turning these labels on each other creates a vitriolic system of misogyny and assumption, where a single ÔÇ£sheÔÇÖs a slutÔÇØ comment can trigger an entire tirade of self-hatred or disgust on yourself. Denouncing musicians who constantly belittle and frame women through these narratives via the terms they use in their music is a step towards a less misogynistic environment. It wasnÔÇÖt ÔÇÿjust a lineÔÇÖ when Kanye West called Taylor swift a bitch in his song ÔÇÿFamousÔÇÖ, it incited an international hate train of abuse directed at Swift, triggering her disappearance from society for a year.
The term Bitch as a ÔÇ£calculated temptressÔÇØ is starting to lose its impact, due to its competition: The BAD Bitch. The bad bitch has a sexual prowess, she associates with whoever she wants in the bedroom, whenever she feels like it. She gets her own money and demands the respect of everyone around her whilst doing so. This iteration of the word concerns women having control over it, embracing all that comes with being labeled conniving, calculated and in control. Ariana Grande questions listeners in her song bad decisions ÔÇ£ainÔÇÖt you ever seen a princess be a bad bitchÔÇØ and Meghan Thee Stallion reassures us on hit anxiety that bad bitches have bad days too. From being someone you wouldnÔÇÖt want to be associated with to someone who now speaks their mind and you look up to, the Bad Bitch has reclaimed herself from the past controlling clutches of misogyny and hatred.
Lyricism has the power to uplift and inspire in music. This is demonstrated through the torrent of musicians bringing ÔÇÿBad BitchesÔÇÖ together and taking control of a narrative that has previously been wrought with misogyny and sexism. We have seen how it has been used to assert labels onto women in the past and make them targets of abuse at the hands of others. Profanity will always dominate over the music industry – how we choose to listen is what matters most.
Words by Lucy Matthews
