Liam Paye’s ‘biphobic’ Both Ways and Kanye West’s ode to Chick-fil-A among worst songs of 2019
Controversial songs by Liam Payne (L) and Kanye West were dubbed some of the ‘worst songs of 2019’ by Forbes and we seriously stan. (Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty Images/Taylor Hill/WireImage)
While 2019 can only be described as a truly cursed year, some good things did happen. Namely, Liam Payne’s’ biphobic’ and Kanye West’s tribute to Chick-fil-A both being named as the worst songs of 2019.
Forbes rounded up their top ten worst songs of 2019, and Payne’s ‘Both Ways’ and West’s ‘Closed on Sunday’ ranked sixth and second respectively.
Forbes just said LGBT+ rights! We have to stan.
Miley Cyrus’ ‘Cattitude’, which featured RuPaul, earned the publication’s (dis)honour of being the worst song of 2019.
However, Taylor Swift’s ‘ME!’, which was super queer, scored pretty high up the chart, ranking a sturdy third.
Consider the stanning revoked, Forbes.
Controversial Liam Payne and Kanye West singles dubbed ‘worst songs of 2019’.
Payne’s debut album LP1 became baked in criticism, not only tanking in the charts but it saw the former One Direction signer be accused of biphobia.
In ‘Both Ways’, Payne belts out lyrics that LGBT+ people called “fetishising” and that work to reinforce dangerous stereotypes.
The song includes the lyrics: “My girl, she like it both ways. She like the way it all taste / Couple more, we’ll call it foreplay / No, no, I don’t discriminate.”
It’s followed by the chorus: “Flipping that body, go head, I go tails / Sharing that body like it’s our last meal / One and a two and a three, that’s for real.”
Liam Payne. (Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Payne later defended the song, and also said that ‘Both Ways’ is one of his favourite songs from his much-slated album.
Forbes in no way held back when giving their take on the song: “‘Both Ways’ is a faceless, sexless pop song that Ed Sheeran wouldn’t even have the gall to include on an album.
“The One Direction alum spouts vanilla cliches over an anonymous trap-lite beat, never deviating from his bland, laidback mid-range vocals.”
Welcome to the resistance, Forbes.
Coming in as runner-up was West’s ‘Closed on Sunday’, which paid tribute to the notoriously anti-LGBT fast-food chain Chick-fil-A.
As a single on West’s gospel-inspired Jesus is King: A Kanye West Experience album, the track featured the lyric: “Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A.”
This being a reference to the Baptist-owned franchise not opening on Sunday for religious reasons.
Forbes writer Bryan Rolli wrote: “Clunky metaphors aside, ‘Closed on Sunday’ is a dour, preachy ballad anchored by melodramatic acoustic guitar arpeggios and ham-fisted lyrics about waging spiritual warfare.”
Ouch.
PETA and LGBT community protest at Chick-fil-A on August 1, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Tibrina Hobson/FilmMagic)
Such “warfare” from Chick-fil-A has seen the company’s charitable wing donate millions of dollars to an array of anti-LGBT charities.
Chick-Fil-A owner Dan Cathy has openly admitted that the company is opposed to same-sex marriage. In 2014 he said that he regretted these comments, but continued quietly bankrolling anti-gay groups, even after promising not to.
