Justin Bieber wants to know what girls want, so he wrote a song about it called "What Do You Mean?" When he teased the track on Ryan Seacrest's radio show, Bieber said the inspiration behind this song was a sincere desire to understand women. "Girls are often flip-floppy. They say something, and then they mean something else. What do you mean?... I don’t really know, that’s why I’m asking," Bieber said.
The song, which was released this morning, immediately reached the No. 1 slot on Billboard's Real Time chart. But some fans are noticing something about the lyrics, pointing out echoes of Robin Thicke's 2013 summer jam, "Blurred Lines," in which he creepily told us we wanted it.
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The lyrics in question are in the chorus of Bieber's song: "When you nod your head yes / But you wanna say no / What do you mean?" The question might sound innocuous enough, except that another line in the song — "Wanna argue all day, making love all night" — adds a definite sexual undertone to the tune. So, what do YOU mean, Bieber? People have some speculations.
Is it just me, or does the new Justin Bieber song sound kind of date rape-y? "Did you really mean to say no? Or did you mean yes." #creepy
— Madison Beauch (@mpbeauch) August 28, 2015The new Justin Bieber song kind of sounds a bit rapey to me...
— Ali (@aliberkey) August 28, 2015is justin bieber's new song about rape or...?
— Izzy O'Rourke (@IzzyORourke1) August 28, 2015rly digging the rape-y vibe to #WhatDoYouMean
— KAi RAKA (@thekairaka) August 28, 2015#WhatDoYouMean promotes rape culture. No means no!
— Dall℁ (@da1ifornia) August 28, 2015For Bieber, or for any man who wants to know what we mean, here it is loud and clear: Only yes means yes. If we're incapacitated in any way, be it from drugs, alcohol, or even exhaustion — it's not a yes. We don't need to be talked into, or tricked into, sex. If we want you, we'll give the green light.
The video for "What Do You Mean?" will debut after the VMAs on Sunday night. Watch the teaser below.