Royals by Lorde (2013)
"Royals" is a debut single from a young female singer, Lorde, released in 2013. This song is included in Lorde’s debut studio album, Pure Heroine (2013). In making this song, Lorde was working with her producer, Joel Little. This song’s lyrics express disapproval with the sumptuous lifestyle presented in songs and music videos by pop and hip-hop-influenced artists. [1]
Controversy
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This song has appeared in various critics’ year-end and decade-end song lists. Despite its success in reaching number one in New Zealand, Canada, and the UK’s international chart, “Royals” has been thoroughly criticized after Feministing blogger, Veronica Bayetti Flores, called this song racist.
The part that caused this controversy is the very chorus of this song, which goes like: “But every song’s like / Gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin’ in the bathroom / Bloodstains, ballgowns, trashing the hotel room / We don’t care / We’re driving Cadillacs in our dreams”
On Feministing, Flores wrote that what she found to be problematic with the song is not that it’s a direct criticism of a form of art (Hip Hop) which is created by people who have been historically oppressed.
“What I do find problematic, however, is to focus a critique of excessive consumption to a genre both created and currently dominated by black Americans, particularly when the vast majority of excess consumption is done by white people – not to mention the fact that black people bear the brunt of the ill effects of wealth inequality, both in the United States and globally.” Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
Reference
[Category:Black Racism in Song Lyrics]
