The Medium email (medium@dailytarheel.com) gets sent a lot of music. So much, in fact, that it's hard to go through all of it.
But, man, did some public relations person know what they were doing when they sent me an email with "Childbirth's incredible, call-to-action new single, "Let's Be Bad!" New LP, Women's Rights, is out October 2nd on Suicide Squeeze" as the subject.
A female-centric #edgy band name? Check.
A call-to-action (read: political) new single? Check.
A track called "Let's Be Bad" on an album called Women's Rights? Check.
When I opened the email, I saw this picture of the band members.
So, obviously, I listened to it, and I'm so glad that I did because I love this song and I love, love this band.
"Let's Be Bad" is a biting, hilarious, punk rock way for Childbirth to critique ridiculous societal pressures imposed on women. It also shreds like nobody's business, which only reaffirms the "I do what I want" attitude of this song and, really, of this band.
"Let's Be Bad" starts with the lyric, 'Let's be bad and split a dessert / We can treat ourselves, we can be late for work.'
This leads into the chorus: "Let's be bad, just for tonight / Let's be bad, it's a lady's right."
What makes this song so funny is that the things the women are singing about "being bad" about are so ridiculous — that's the point. No one should feel guilty for ordering a glass of white wine at a restaurant or "wearing skirts that barely fit." You shouldn't feel guilty about doing normal human things that make you happy.
What's so cool about Childbirth is that they contrast this stupidity with low-fi punk rock that's so commonly associated with the feminist riot grrl movement, letting the listeners know they're just kidding and actually fuck these things. This song is good — it's messy and raw and real and lingering, and it gets stuck in your head because you're thinking about when you're going to listen to it next.
It reminds me a lot of Amy Schumer's sketch, "I'm So Bad." (Warning: there are some off color jokes in the video, some concerning abortion and molestation)
In conclusion: I love this song because it's an anthem for women who hate being told what to do, and it sounds like an anthem for women who hate being told what to do. This is punk rock in both message and sound, and I'm very down with that.
Be sure to check back in October when I review this entire album — I'll probably throw some bell hooks quotes in and talk about Against Me! in the context of punk rock. (Spoiler alert: their upcoming album has a song called "Will You Let the Dogs In," based off of the famed Baha Men song, and when I hear it, I'm going to lose my mind.)
tl;dr: punk rock feminism is A+++ and so is this song.
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