Jack & Jill Politics

Especially when they completely bungle their supposed message.

For those of you unaware, former Cheetah Girl Kiely Williams is catching all kinds of hell for her single “Spectacular”, an upbeat club tune detailing  the hazy remembrances of a young lady whose gone home with a strapping young lad. I’d heard the song months ago and, I won’t lie, it raised my eyebrows. It lacks a subtly that even Rihanna might find troubling. Still, I shrugged and moved on. If that’s what she was feeling at the time…so be it.

But now, Williams has taken to YouTube to defend her. She claims she wasn’t condoning the behavior discussed in the song; she was merely pointing it out as dangerous behavior that takes place more regularly than people care to address.

She goes on to say

“I am playing a character in the music video for the song Spectacular, as I did in the Cheetah Girl movies. Young women across the country get intoxicated and have unprotected sex. That’s a fact. I recorded the song to bring attention to this frighteningly prevalent activity. It is absurd to infer or suggest that I am condoning this behaviour.
“Are Lady Gaga and Beyonce advocating murder with the Telephone video? Of course not. Was Rihanna encouraging suicide with Russian Roulette? No. Was Madonna suggesting that young unmarried girls get pregnant with Papa Don’t Preach? I don’t think so. Is Academy Award winner Monique a proponent of incest because of her portrayal of Mary in the movie Precious? Clearly, the answer is no.
“I wrote Spectacular and made the video to bring attention to a serious women’s health and safety issue. Please don’t shoot the messenger.”

The points Williams makes are fair. In the above cases, provocative work should not be taken to mean the artist is a supporter of the subject matter. The difference here is whether or not the audience is given a reasonable enough opportunity to infer the artistic intent. Singers, unlike actors, are burden not only with the performance, but also the directing. The audience takes much of their cue from the person making words. This is not to say it’s the singer’s responsibility to make sure every single person who listens understands; rather, it’s about making sure every single person has a reasonable opportunity to understand. To that end and in an effort to make my overall points clear, I’m posting the song and its lyrics below. I urge you to listen, then read, then read my thoughts.

Last night I was drunk
I don’t remember much
But what I do constant pictures
Thats how gone I was
But he was tall and he was buying
So I gave him a trying
Said he was like a stallion
And the man wasn’t lying

Last I remember I was face down
Ass up, clothes off, broke off, dozed off
Even though I’m not sure of his name
He could get it again if he wanted
Cause the sex was spectacular
The sex was spectacular (yeaaah)
The sex was spectacular
The sex was spectacular

So it was the morning after
I couldn’t get home faster
Doing the walk of shame
In the same clothes from yesterday
I think he pulled a track out
When he was blowing my back out
What was I drinking
I cant believe I blacked out

Last I remember I was face down
Ass up, clothes off, broke off, dozed off
Even though I’m not sure of his name
He could get it again if he wanted
Cause the sex was spectacular
The sex was spectacular (yeaaah)
The sex was spectacular
The sex was spectacular

You can say what you want but
You can call me a slut but
What he did to me last night felt so good
I must have been on drugs
I hope he used a rubber
Or I’mma be in trouble
Promise I don’t remember
Except for
Give it to me, give it to me
Ooh baby what a ride ride
Oh ride ride
So smooth like it beats
I like the heat
Ooh baby what a night night
Right right

Cause the sex was spectacular
The sex was spectacular (yeaaah)
The sex was spectacular
The sex was spectacular

I have several problems with Williams’ defense of “Spectacular.” Firstly, the song she made is sonically hype (it’s not good, but it’s certainly got thump); there’s nothing that betrays a sense of shame or perspective or even neutrality. The vocalist in question doesn’t sound altogether troubled by what she did. This isn’t necessarily a negative since, as Williams states in her YouTube clip, a song can just be a song relaying or imagining a story. This is a song just dishing out some good old fashion real talk. Fine. But what exactly is Williams trying to say? Since it’s not readily clear, the audience is left to judge the song on its feel. Between the beat and the vocal delivery, it doesn’t feel altogether negative. Frankly, it sounds like one helluva night depending on your take on activities bacchanal.

Before making her “song for song’s sake” defense, Williams denies the song condones date rape. Are we to infer that the song is, therefore, about date rape? If so, the message stakes have been raised exponentially and comes off as a contradiction in intent. Bringing attention to something, especially date rape, is going beyond making a song that is “just” a song. A song “just because” means the listener shouldn’t look any further into it. If Williams was trying to highlight the dangerous prevalence of date rape, that must mean she would like discuss the matter as juxtaposed against a song that seem to justify it, no? In my opinion, any time juxtaposition can be brought into the mix artistically, there’s a deeper, more-than-just-a-song meaning.

It’s extremely difficult to pull off a “just  because” song regarding a coerced sexual act. Even “Blame It On the Alcohol”, which is fairly unapologetic, doesn’t go quite that far. Still, Williams not only brings up the issue of date rape, but claims she was merely bringing attention to an important women’s health and safety issue. If so, I find these lyrics troubling

Last I remember I was face down
Ass up, clothes off, broke off, dozed off
Even though I’m not sure of his name
He could get it again if he wanted
Cause the sex was spectacular
The sex was spectacular (yeaaah)
The sex was spectacular
The sex was spectacular

Oblique messages regarding women’s health and safety, particularly in the realm of date rape, are all but lost when the singer in question says the dude whose name she doesn’t know could get it again if he wanted it because the sex was just that good. I know women who have been date raped and otherwise sexually assaulted. I have yet to be told “Yeah. Dude totally date raped me but, hey, I’d do it again. The sex was on point.” Maybe I’ve been under a rock all these years. I just haven’t seen it.

Let’s say for a moment I believe Williams’ “I was just trying to address a serious issue” stance–I don’t, but hey, it’s Friday–I think this was a bungling of the highest order for a few reasons.

Firstly, we live in a world where, increasingly, subtlety and nuance are lost on audiences, especially with controversial or complex topics. To be fair, “Spectacular” isn’t much different than “Rude Boy” (though the matter of sexual agency can’t be overlooked.) The difference? Rihanna is clear about what she wants, wants, wants. She sees a guy and wants him to give it to her like boom, boom, boom. There’s nothing more to read into that in terms of message. If you’re not making a song condoning date rape, you should want to make that abundantly clear. Because Katie Perry kissed a girl and liked it doesn’t mean you can wander into the land of date rape and expect people to get your supposed point.

Secondly, given the above, Williams–the song’s author–doesn’t give the audience an opportunity to see her alleged neutrality or admonition. With the type of beat that is behind the song, lyrics and delivery should do the work of executing the message/non-message. Example: Sheila E.’s “Glamorous Life.”

She’s got big thoughts, big dreams
And a big brown Mercedes sedan
What I think this girl,
She really wants is to be in love with a man

She wants to lead the Glamorous Life
She don’t need a man’s touch
She wants to lead the Glamorous Life
But without love it ain’t much

I defy a person to put that record on and not jam. But, if you listen, the lyrics belie the groove.

I’m gonna go ahead and doubt Kiely Williams is advocating date rape in “Spectacular.” Really, she comes off as an artist who attempted to take attempted to go the sexy and provocative route with an extremely volatile subject, executed it poorly and is now backpedaling in the face of people telling her to slap herself with a hand full of tacks.

Put some Tussin on it, Kiely. You’ll be fine.