Shakira and Miley Cyrus made headlines for their recently released songs, ‘Out Of Your League’ and ‘Flowers’. Even though both the tracks are breaking records, media personnel have decided to pick their personal lives apart while reporting the news of their success. As fans grow curious about the double meanings in the songs, it’s tricky to draw a line when so many rumours around their alleged love lives circulate on the internet.
This is not to say that the songs aren’t about their exes. They allegedly are. But the artistes have neither confirmed nor denied the rumours floating around. Unfortunately, it’s best to reiterate that you can never know what happens between two people.
At first glance, Shakira’s song does seem to be a classic heartbreak anthem. But so many are calling it a ‘revenge’ song - which makes it all the more disconcerting. In her case though, her ex-husband Gerard Pique found a way to make the release of this song lucrative for his image.
Pique has responded to her viral break-up song by partnering with Casio. He was attempting to mock the lyrics of the song, which went as follows, “You swapped a Ferrari for a [Renault] Twingo/You swapped a Rolex for a Casio.”
To top it all, a lot has been said about their break-up already. Many sympathised with the husband, citing the infamous Johnny Deep and Amber Heard trial, even though the comparisons are a long shot and uncalled for.
Ultimately, it’s difficult to pigeonhole the many moods of the internet as it oscillates between disturbing memes and empowering tweets – no matter which celebrity couple is involved.
Reclaiming Revenge
Reclaiming the narrative around ‘revenge’ is essential. Taylor Swift, in her music video ‘Blank Space’, took all the stories that were spun around her and created a chart-bursting song that has managed to have over a billion views. She enacted the role of a crazy girlfriend that the media had branded her as.
In one of her interviews, she said:
“You’re going to have people who are going to say ‘Oh, you know, she just writes songs about her ex-boyfriends’ and I think frankly that’s a very sexist angle to take. No one says that about Ed Sheeran. No one says it about Bruno Mars. They’re all writing songs about their exes, their current girlfriends, their love life, and no one raises a red flag there.”Taylor Swift, Singer
In all honesty, the hyperbole around the vengeful ex may be true for some, but doesn't always hold ground, which makes us question if these singers are seeking revenge at all.
An Ode to Self-Love Anthems
Miley's song isn’t a hit because she wrote it about her ex, attempting to seek revenge. It isn’t a success because of her past love life. Despite the fact that the narrative around revenge is a well-backed one, her song simply resonates with her audience – many of whom have felt what she has.
It would be unseemly to make her self-love anthem primarily about revenge and by extension her ex. But a clear demarcation is also difficult to achieve.
Shakira’s more hard-hitting single is difficult to untangle from her personal life too. Spanish publications have written in abundance about her alleged bitter split. But her song hits home mostly because of the song itself, not because of the rumours around it.
So one thing is for sure, it’s not always the artiste who allegedly seeks revenge. It’s the many things that are written around these songs and how they are sensationalised. And of course, a musician draws inspiration from their own lives. But it’s not a success because of it but despite it.
Both these tonalities, revenge and self-love, overlap. It’s how the audience choose to read it that is important. After all, it’s difficult to separate the art and the artiste but to sensationalise it is another ball game entirely.
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