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AIBU?

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Original poster

...to think that 'Single Ladies' is garbage?

169 replies

TheValeyard · 31/12/2021 21:17

Just watching some crap on TV, and a bunch of people are saying about how Beyonce's Single Ladies is all about female empowerment. This seems to be utter bollocks - the line 'put a ring on it' is one of the worst, most demeaning song lyrics ever, and referring to women/a woman as 'it' is the least of it's problems??

Sorry, but i f-ing HATE that song...

OP posts:
diplodocus · 31/12/2021 22:10

It always makes me smile as I remember dd2 who was about 4 at the time and always had an innovative take on lyrics singing “i’m a single lettuce, I’m a single lettuce”

WrongWayApricot · 31/12/2021 22:12

Depends on the context doesn't it. If the song was released in a matriarchal utopia then it's a shit song. If it's released in a world where women don't even get the security of marriage before they start scrubbing skids out of pants then it's probably alright. I think if Beyonce had released a song about the matriarchal utopia it wouldn't sell as well and reach many women because it wouldn't be promoted. Run the world girls is a step closer to that song though.

You just have to read through MN to see the shit women put up with without a ring to understand that this song might empower them to put themselves first for once. And obviously the ring in the song is symbolic for all the things we associate with marriage, financial security, commitment, respect, love. It's okay to reach for those if you're not ready to take over the world yet. The song wasn't written for you, it's written for women that can't see what you can see yet. No need to shit on their song.

colourfulpuddles · 31/12/2021 22:13

How is it demeaning? It’s like you’re looking for things to be annoyed about 😂

GladysTheOstrich · 31/12/2021 22:14

It's a brilliant song. I used to teach it for A-level music (when we had a class Hmm). Note: I also taught Stevie Wonder and Joni Mitchell...and Mozart/Vivaldi/Bach et al.

The dance is inspired by the choreography of Bob Fosse (Cabaret).

I tend to find that people who dislike Beyoncé dislike pop music as a concept. If something is groundbreaking AND popular, like Destiny's Child's music was in the late 90s/early 00s, or The Beatles were in the late 60s, there are always naysayers (who invariably like terrible music).

Margotshypotheticaldog · 31/12/2021 22:14

I always presume Beyoncé's husband is pulling all the strings there. Any of those songs and videos with women dancing in their knickers singing about how they don't need a man are written by/produced by men. If you want to know whether it's empowering, check if tjose in power are doing it. If it was , Justin Timberlake would be dancing around in a tight leotard in all his videos. (That's an awesome video)

Lottapianos · 31/12/2021 22:14

'Liza Minelli’s rendition of it was the only good thing about that SATC movie.'

Agree - very funny

The lyrics are GHASTLY and as for 'female empowerment' - don't make me laugh! I do find it hard to sit still when it comes on though, and the video is amazing. Like a lot of Beyonce's stuff, it's best to let it in one ear and out the other

KiloWhat · 31/12/2021 22:15

@SalveVagina

"Oh oh oh".

Mmm. Very thought-provoking lyrics.

I am not in fact particularly feminist, but I hate the whole idea of a woman hanging around for a man to stick a ring on her finger.

Yeah but Beyonce didn't. Her man did not stick a ring on it and commit after 3 long years and she decided there was no point if the years were long and she cried tears and he wasn't going to change and commit. So she's gone off and had a drink and a boogie with someone else.
Kudupoo · 31/12/2021 22:16

Binning off commitmentphobes and hoping for marriage isn't 'feminist'. It's just common sense for women who want to be married Hmm

AnnaSW1 · 31/12/2021 22:16

I love it. And the it is the finger

VladmirsPoutine · 31/12/2021 22:16

It is my firmly held belief that if Beyonce made music that would be enjoyed by Mumsnetters she would be doing something incredibly disastrously wrong. It's ok to say you don't understand the song without writing it off as 'garbage'.

KiloWhat · 31/12/2021 22:17

And asking all the single ladies to put their hands up isn't in a "stick your hands up so we know who is available thanks" it's a woop woop put your hands up for detroit kind of hands up.

Eleganz · 31/12/2021 22:18

I have to agree that the song isn't very good. The chords are weird and a bit sinister and the lyrics and sexualised dancing is far from the progressive anthem that people seem to think it is.

sst1234 · 31/12/2021 22:18

It’s absolutely not empowering. Neither is Beyoncé, to be honest. Her husband is one of the biggest music producers in the industry and has been producing her music since the days of her first solo single. Hardly the independent woman that he he media makes her out to be.

Nomoreusernames1244 · 31/12/2021 22:19

tend to find that people who dislike Beyoncé dislike pop music as a concept. If something is groundbreaking AND popular, like Destiny's Child's music was in the late 90s/early 00s, or The Beatles were in the late 60s, there are always naysayers (who invariably like terrible music)

Really? And you’re a music teacher? So if one of your students doesn’t like beyonce, for whatever reason, they must like terrible music? Do you then automatically fail them?

I like most music. Beyonce, i don’t. It isn’t just the music, it’s the parts that make up the package. Which is what sells pop music. But if you don’t understand that…

rocky1914 · 31/12/2021 22:19

Agreed. Excellent singer, shit song, and totally not relatable coming from a woman whose husband publicly cheated on her and she took him back, didn't even let him sweat for a bit. 🙄

Doggydoodah123 · 31/12/2021 22:19

It's a catchy song but I'm not a fan. Another one who thinks Beyonce is overrated x

Margotshypotheticaldog · 31/12/2021 22:20

Im too lazy to google. Is Beyoncés music written and produced by a man? Or a woman? If it's a woman I will stand corrected, but men are not interested in empowering women, they're just not. It's a catchy poptastic song, I can appreciate that. But it's about as empowering to women as pole dancing lessons.

BigYellowHat · 31/12/2021 22:21

I like that song. I don’t care about the lyrics, it’s just quite catchy.

Shelby2010 · 31/12/2021 22:22

I’m ashamed to say I liked it on Glee.

Of the same type of music I find Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend particularly offensive. I find it worse when these ‘Strong female role models’ are so misogynistic because it’s harder to denounce than the more obvious male rapper-style stuff.

rocky1914 · 31/12/2021 22:24

She should bin her husband then. He cheats on her, he isn’t exactly committed to her.

My point exactly. And off topic but her husband had the nerve to say that he thinks that Beyoncé is more talented than the late MJ. I spat out my tea. This generation is LOST

sonjadog · 31/12/2021 22:25

In that line, first "it" = a relationship
Second "it" = finger

AngeloMysterioso · 31/12/2021 22:26

It’s not the most awful song in the world. It’s not even the most awful song by Beyoncé. Drunk in Love and Partition are considerably worse.

feyzer · 31/12/2021 22:26

Oh fgs. Some people are so dour and need to take everything so literally. It’s obvious what she’s saying and she’s doing it with humour. Also she looks amazing.

GladysTheOstrich · 31/12/2021 22:27

@Nomoreusernames1244

Of course not! But whether they (or I!) like it or not never gets discussed, because they have to be able to analyse/contextualise the music, whatever their view of it.

ANameChangeAgain · 31/12/2021 22:27

The best, and most feminist song by Queen Bey is Irreplaceable.
I always presume Beyoncé's husband is pulling all the strings there. yes, ditto. You see straight through it, all this girl power stuff, but really made by men for men. All those young girls idolising Little Mix in their lady gimp outfits. Nothing is as misogynistic as the music industry.
How come Farrel Williams got away with his significant part in Blurred Lines, talking about misogynistic music?