The Messy Honesty of “Becky’s So Hot”
“Fine, okay, I'll say, I went and stalked her.” We’ve all stalked someone’s IG page. When it comes to writing a song about it….can’t say I’ve done that.
Released last Friday, "Becky's So Hot" is Fletcher's second release of 2022 following “Her Body Is Bible”. The single sets the stage for Fletcher's debut album Girl Of My Dreams that's set to come out in September.
The buzz on “Becky’s So Hot” has been insane. Originally, the name was censored out in snippets Fletcher shared to social media, but the reveal sparked a wave of reaction videos. I’ve seen almost every TikTok video under the “Becky’s So Hot” sound and heard every take on the song.
With Fletcher name dropping, it’s pretty clear who this song is about. There was a lot of controversy over the name dropping. While some originally through Fletcher’s ex and her new girlfriend were a part of the song for publicity, social media posts made it seem like this was a surprise for them. Some reactions called out the name drop for being too messy, while others thought the song was flattering for Becky. Some called it toxic, others called it a masterpiece.
Here’s my take.
This is Fletcher we’re talking about. Chaotic messiness is her whole brand. Clearly, the song was going to be what some would call messy. I call it honest. At the core of every Fletcher song is a bit of truth. She’s letting out her feelings through song and I respect her boldness here.
Fletcher shared the story behind the song in an interview with Zane Lowe. "I wrote "Becky’s So Hot" a couple years ago after I was creeping on my ex’s new girlfriend’s Instagram while I was in the studio. I accidentally liked a picture of her wearing a vintage t-shirt of my ex’s, one that I’ve worn before. The complexities of moving on were something I wanted to explore, and it felt more interesting to me to write something from the perspective of being in in awe of her.”
The emotional complexities Fletcher mentions are complemented in the song by a sonic background of guitars, fierce drums, and rhythms. Lyrically, the verses paint a picture of someone having been broken up while the chorus hits us with some emotional whiplash. Ooh, she's the one I should hate But I wanna know how she tastes.
Complex feelings, indeed. Do we hate the ex's new gf? Or do we want her? Fletcher commented on her thought process behind the line as ‘sort of like damn… it kinda stings that she’s so hot, but I can’t even be mad about it because I get it…she’s hot.’ Is this messy? Honest? A song based on real events? All of the above.
There were a lot of videos reacting to the vintage T-shirt line “I used to wear it too, yeah, it's the cropped one. With the red Corvette, someone new riding shotgun” with people actually going and finding the picture of Becky in this T-shirt.
In her conversation with Zane Lowe, Fletcher commented on these lyrics about the Instagram picture saying, “I accidentally liked it. I kept it, because … you just have to lean in and … own the fact that yeah I was creeping.” I fully respect the honesty.
That being said, was it cool to name drop without approval? Ehhhh. It’s a blurry line. On one hand, I think people should be made aware if they’re going to be used in a song. Whether Shannon and Becky were made aware and/or didn't approve is not fully clear, but I digress. On the other hand, aren’t artists free to express themselves?
The drama and controversy had me hooked the entire week. It got to a point where instead of talking about the song, people were creating secondary drama with those who had other takes. It's been a rollercoaster of a release week. I think we're all excited to see what Fletcher has in store for us on her upcoming album.
Regardless of where you fall on the "Becky's So Hot" controversy spectrum, there is a lesson to take from Fletcher's journey of a discography. Going from “The S(ex) Tapes”, to “Healing”, to “Becky’s So Hot” shows that maybe healing isn’t so linear.
“Girl of My Dreams” is set to take off where “The S(ex) Tapes” left us and I can’t wait to see where Fletcher takes us.