Hayley Kiyoko calls out new Rita Ora song for queer-baiting

Rita Ora’s new song “Girls” has been called out for queer-baiting. The song – which also features Bebe Rexha, Cardi B, and Charli XCX – has Ora singing “I ain’t one-sided, I’m open-minded… I’m 50-50 and I’m never gonna hide it.” While Cardi B raps, “I steal your bitch, have her down with the scissor.” Ora then sings about drinking red wine and wanting to kiss girls.

Ora told People magazine that “I always looked at this song as a real genderfluid freedom record. It really represents freedom and the chance to be what you want to be—and there being no judgment and just living your life as you want to live it.”

Asked if she wanted it to become a bisexual anthem, she said, “Definitely. I definitely want it to feel like it’s an anthem to somebody. I want there to be a sense of freedom for anyone who listens to it. So I’ll take it!”

When pressed if she herself was bisexual or fluid she replied, “If people look at it like that, it’s very narrow-minded, and I don’t think that’s what this record is. I don’t think that that even matters.”

Some listeners have pointed out the lyrics trivialise queer sexuality and play into harmful stereotypes. Out singer Hayley Kiyoko tweeted: “It’s important for us artists to move the cultural needle forward, not backwards. I literally have a knot in my stomach right now.

“I fully support other artists who freely express themselves and applaud male and female artists who are opening up more and more about their sexual identities,” she continues. “But every so often there come certain songs with messaging that is just downright tone-deaf, which does more harm than good for the LGBTQ+ community. A song like this just fuels the male gaze while marginalizing the idea of women loving women.

“I don’t need to drink wine to kiss girls; I’ve loved women my entire life. This type of message is dangerous because it completely belittles and invalidates the very pure feelings of an entire community. I feel I have a responsibility to protect that whenever possible.

“We can and should do better.”

Another out singer, Kehlani, also tweeted criticism of the song: “Hate to be THAT guy but there were many awkward slurs, quotes, and moments that were like ‘word? word.’… Don’t make this personal… there. were. harmful. lyrics. period.”