The Sexualisation of Pop Music

Sex sells. Always has, probably always will. But in an age where chart-topping music is so readily available on numerous platforms to listeners of all ages, is music becoming too sexualised for younger listeners?

It’s fair to say that the music industry has a long history of sexualisation. From rock and metal, to soul and funk, to hip-hop and pop, sexually-charged lyrics have played their part in sculpting the mainstream music of today. However, in recent years the sheer amount of overtly sex focused music being rushed along the music industry’s conveyor belt, and being flung out to the all-too-delighted public, has become much more noticeable. You only have to glance at the UK charts to notice the recurring themes from some of the biggest popstars on the planet.

Megastar Rihanna is a major culprit of releasing songs riddled with sexually explicit lyrics. Some of the more conspicuous lines include; “Come here rude boy, boy can you get it up? Come here rude boy, boy is you big enough?” from the song ‘Rude boy’, and “I may be bad, but I’m perfectly good at it, sex in the air, I don’t care, I love the smell of it” from the song ‘S&M’. Both songs have been played to death worldwide since being released, to the point where unless you have lived in complete isolation for the past two years, you – and more importantly, millions of children – will undoubtedly have heard them.

It’s quite bewildering that when playing ‘S&M,’ many radio stations in the UK - Capital FM for example - edit the line “chains and whips excite me”, but yet deem it acceptable to leave the majority of the song unedited, most of which directly mentions sex in a crude and cringe-worthy manner. Surely, the song should be banned from air completely? I mean, if the words “chains” and “whips” are edited out, which to be frank, you would hope most children wouldn't even understand the connotation of, then how are direct references to sex allowed? Why bother at all?

In an age where image and musical talent seem to be of equal importance in the music industry – and let’s face it, image seems to be some popstars’ only attribute – music videos are a highly valuable asset. Not surprisingly, Rihanna’s music videos follow the same theme as her lyrics. Take for example, ‘Rude Boy’, a song dedicated purely to the process of sexual intercourse, featuring a scantily clad Rihanna, gyrating and dancing provocatively with a number of men. Interestingly, out of 218,444,048 YouTube views, the top demographic of viewers is 13-17 year old girls. What a great example being set by someone with such massive influence over the youth. As provocative as ‘Rude Boy’ is, the music video for ‘S&M’ takes things to a whole new level.  It’s like a dodgy porn video you’d only find in the darkest dirtiest depths of the internet. 

However, it seems common sense and decency prevailed with this video, as it was instantly banned in 11 countries, and slapped with an 18+ restriction on YouTube. Which brings up another point, is restricting the audience really the route the music industry wants to go down? Sex might sell, but when the audience is limited, it can also be extremely costly.

In an industry dominated by men, it’s no surprise to see women being displayed like meat in a butcher’s shop window, in an attempt to bring in the big bucks. However, it’s not only female artists promoting sex to the youth, male artists are just as guilty. 

Boyband One Direction are an interesting case in point. With a core fanbase of girls aged between 8 - 15, their debut single ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ about a girl who doesn’t realise how attractive she is, struck a chord with the fans and propelled them to top of the charts.  However, their latest single, ‘Live While We’re Young’ takes a giant leap from flirty, to downright filthy. The premise of the song is about persuading a girl to comply with a one-night stand, peddling the message, “Tonight let’s get some, and live while we’re young.” As a group of 19-20 year old boys, some may argue it’s just natural for them to have a cheeky attitude, but considering the average age of their fans, and the influence they have, this song definitely leaves a bad taste.

It's quite clear that something needs to change within the music industry. There was a time when popstars being suggestive about sex was enough to create controversy, take for example the banning of Relax by Frankie goes to Hollywood in the mid 80s. However, we seem to have segued into an age where things are now spelled out for us so explicitly, that there’s no escaping it. Is this the world we want our children to grow up in? Surely it’s time for some form of boundary was put in place. At a time where teenage pregnancy is still on the rise in the UK, maybe it’s time to start looking at who the youth are influenced by, and the messages being conveyed to them.

Twitter: @danielwalls91