10 Popular Songs You Grooved To That People Say Are Problematic

Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke

For all of its popularity, who didn’t call out “Blurred Lines”? The idea of a woman who a guy believes wants to get hot and heavy in the sack but won’t explicitly say it ididn’t sit right with many:

Good girl

I know you want it

I know you want it

I know you want it

You’re a good girl

Can’t let it get past me

You’re far from plastic

Talk about getting blasted

I hate these blurred lines

I know you want it

I know you want it

I know you want it

But you’re a good girl

The way you grab me

Must wanna get nasty

Go ahead, get at me

Back to Sleep – Chris Brown

Catchy song indeed, but from the explicit hook alone, I think we can all admit the track is creepy:

Just let me rock, f–k you back to sleep girl

Don’t say a word no, don’t you talk

Just hold on tight to me girl

F–k you back to sleep girl rock you back

What Do You Mean? – Justin Bieber

While Bieber claimed the song was about women being “flip-floppy” when it comes to the things they say and desire in a relationship, people felt it was a creepy song that started a conversation about sexual consent:

What do you mean? Oh, oh

When you nod your head yes

But you wanna say no

What do you mean? Hey-ey

When you don’t want me to move

But you tell me to go

What do you mean?

Oh, what do you mean?

Said you’re running out of time, what do you mean?

Oh, oh, oh, what do you mean?

Better make up your mind

What do you mean?

Don’t Be Afraid – Aaron Hall

Aaron Hall may have thought he was being sexy with “Don’t Be Afraid,” but there was plenty to be afraid of with lyrics like these:

Now I have you all to myself

You can put all the other guys all on the shelf

No need to run and no need to hide

All the doors are locked baby and I have you inside

You can yell and you can hit me

It just makes me horny

Ain’t nothing but a love thing baby

Between me and you

So just give in baby, don’t worry about a thing

Blame It on the Alcohol – Jamie Foxx

We don’t really feel the creepiness others claimed they did when it comes to “Blame It on the Alcohol” because it’s a fun club anthem. However, a writer wasn’t happy with it, putting it on a list of the “Top Five Date Rape Anthems“:

Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It (On the Alcohol),” in which Foxx attempts to f–k a woman who “says she usually don’t” but that he knows is “frontin” because “she don’t wanna seem like she’s easy.” (But she is). Foxx knows she’s ready to admit she wants it when “she spilled some drink on me / And now I’m knowin’ she tipsy.” My neighbor has this song as her ringtone.

Love in This Club – Usher

Another hit you wouldn’t think would be a problematic song received the side-eye from some for lyrics like, “You know all you gotta do is tell me what you’re sipping on / And I promise that I’m gonna keep it coming all night long” that have similar references to getting a woman drunk to “make love in this club”:

Might as well give me a kiss

If we keep touching like this

I know you’re scared, baby, they don’t know what we doing

Let’s both get undressed right here

Keep it up, girl, and I swear

I’ma give it to you non-stop

And I don’t care who’s watching

“U.O.E.N.O”  – Rocko feat. Rick Ross

Anytime you brag or joke about putting a roofie in someone’s drink to take advantage of them, you know you’re about to catch hell, and rightfully so. Rick Ross landed in hot water and even lost endorsement deals for this careless lyric:

Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it

I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

It may be a holiday classic that’s been sung by a whole host of great singers, but “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” has been criticized. Why? The entire song is about a woman saying she can’t really stay at a man’s place while he persistently insists that she does. Boy, did he lay it on thick.

Every Breath You Take – The Police

I mean, the lyrics speak to the creepiness pretty clearly:

Oh can’t you see

You belong to me

How my poor heart aches with every step you take

Every move you make

Every vow you break

Every smile you fake

Every claim you stake

I’ll be watching you

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