After Beyonce's album, Beyonce, came out, I knew I had to listen to it. I have always looked up to the singer and enjoyed her music from the beginning. What I thought was really interesting about this new album was that she accepted feminism and made it sexy. She "[empowers] women of color," says Professor Brittney Cooper in this NPR news segment. I believe that Beyonce had good intentions on upholding feminism, until I heard her song "Drunk In Love."
The "Drunk In Love" lyrics ruined the song for me. In the song, Jay-Z raps, "I'm Ike Turner, turn up| Baby know I don't play, now eat the cake, Anna Mae| Said, 'Eat the cake, Anna Mae!'" In those lyrics, I feel like Jay-Z promotes rape culture. Tina Turner's story gives you the chills after reading what Ike Turner, her former husband, did to her. It's amazing she made it through the abuse alive, and later coming out with an empowering Private Dancer. But Jay-Z seems like he was mocking Turner in her struggle to stay alive, like what she went through is funny.
The Huffington Post article explains more about it, saying that the lyrics "imitate a scene of severe domestic violence." The article goes on to explain that fans of the song commented on it saying "lol" or "#Boss." It's disgusting. But what bothers me even more is that Beyonce sang the part with him. I completely agree with the Huffington Post article. I think that this violence against women and rape culture needs to end.
