Jessie Reyez has released her first single in 2018 and it is controversial. Jessie Reyez has been gaining popularity due to her different music style and composition. She gained much reputation and popularity from her collaboration with Calvin Harris on “Hard to Love.” Cashing on this spotlight, she also released some unique music such as “Figures” and “Cotton Candy.”
Jessie Reyez returns to music in this year with a brand new single titled “Body Count” and it is already a fan-favorite. The song stands firmly on gender discrimination in the society. Reyez spoke about the inspiration behind the song:
“I was standing in the studio with my homie Chris, one of the producers on the song, and we were talking about how it’s not fair that women are not encouraged to hold the amount of people that they’ve had sex with proudly. Whereas men are. You guys have the luxury of not having to deal with that social construct of shame. You guys don’t get shamed as much as women. If anybody gets offended, tough. This is the way it is. This is almost the anti-that anthem, ‘cause I’m proud of who I’ve had sex with, and what’s the difference? I shouldn’t feel shame if you don’t feel shame. If you can walk into a room and be like, “Yo, I just slammed this girl” and get high-fives, I should be able to walk into my room with my homegirls saying, “I just banged this guy” and get a lot of high-fives. So, it’s the anti that album and being proud of who you’ve had sex with.”
This pretty much concludes her intentions with the song and the underlying theme of the song.
Watch “Body Count” Video by Jessie Reyez
Download “Body Count” Single on iTunes and Amazon
The music video for “Body Count” is quite traumatizing, as it shows Jessie Reyez found guilty of something and given capital punishment. She is being stripped, tied to a pole and set on fire for some ‘crime’ she has committed. She does not cry or flinch when she is set on fire, but rather intensifies her singing.
Lyrics Review and Song Meaning of “Body Count” (Explicit)
The entire song is about gender discrimination when it comes to talking about sex. Jessie herself explained that there are strict social barriers against a woman talking about sex or her exes as opposed to men talking about it. For men, the “body count” is a trophy and for women, it is a shame! Jessie addresses this issue in the entire song.
Verse 1
Jessie says the guys don’t need to be talking about their exes or past ‘conquests’ all the time. Because, if she starts talking about them, she will most likely be branded a ‘slut.’ So, she is asking the guys not to push her to talk about them.
Reyez also says that if she wanted guys all day long, she could have guys all day long. Because women get hit on by guys on an hourly basis. And she also says that her Mercedes Benz was bought with her own money. Nobody helped her get there and nobody will.
Chorus
The chorus of “Body Count” speaks about women empowerment and how women do not need to rely on any guy to make it in this world.
The singer says we should live our lives at our own paces and at our own rules. Life is short and you are young only once, so make the best out of it.
Verse 2
Jessie Reyez completely reverses the role in these lyrics. She is the one initiating the breakup in this song. She says she would not even bother posting about them on social media because most likely ‘goodbyes’ are just around the corner.
“Making love to yourself” would be the best alternative to being with the wrong person. Jessie Reyez explains this phrase perfectly:
“P0rn Hub. That’s what that means. P0rnHub and peppermint oils and alone time with no f*ckery. Happiness.”
Sometimes it is better to be alone than with the wrong person is the takeaway message of these lyrics.
Outro
The singer explains a situation with meeting her ex on the road accidentally. She went another way and avoided him because she does not want that kind of bull*hit in her life again. She would explode if she had an encounter with him, so she just changed her course and went another way.
“Body Count” is an amazing “no-chill” track by Jessie Reyez and we would not expect anything less from her. She gets the message out no matter how offensive it might seem to some people. But this is the bitter truth of the society and its judgemental constructs.
What do you think about this brand new single and music video “Body Count?” Love it? or hate it? Let us know in the comments below and share this article with your friends as well.
Check out the complete lyrics to “Body Count” on Genius.