Lizzo - Boys

In some ways, Boys is very similar and at the same time the exact opposite of 2012 Robin Thicke's hit Blurred Lines. Both of them have a very funky beat that drives the entire tune and they are about desire and an open sexuality, but what in Thicke, a white wealthy man, perpetuates sexism and rape culture with lyrics like "I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two", in Lizzo, a black overweight woman from Detroit, it's all about empowering female desire. If both music videos toy with naked women, the effect couldn't be more dissimilar; Blurred Lines is about women as objects that are only worthy if they adhere to beauty standards, Boys is about body positivity and feeling comfortable in your own skin.

It's not the first track called Boys that target female desire, Charli XCX and Britney Spears have also a track like this, but here, again, there's another way of inclusion when coming to the men. While Charli and Britney mostly are fantasizing about Abercrombie models, Lizzo is clear that she don't discriminate, just like in Missy Elliott's Work It (that is an immediate reference with that "Get your nails did" lyric), every boy has a chance at her heart and her pussy.

Opening with a James Brown-esque riff, then the funky rhythm jumps early to dominate the party while Lizzo raps about all the kind of guys she likes, only to later be accompanied by a psychedelic guitar that infuses it with powerful rock vibes. It's quite an interesting mix of styles and references, even tributes to the diverse black tradition in modern music: Gaye, Brown, Prince, Missy. There's an important sense of intersectional feminism, but with a great sense of humor, and a towering self-confidence to imprint a very personal style to the track.