Small Words

“I love my body” is the name and refrain of Hwasa’s song and has a clear in-text message: You should love your body. But I’m left pretty cold after listening. She is gorgeous. Her physique is noncontroversial. It’s perfect even. This song resembles a pop music trope of body-positive lyrics sung by plus-sized women whose bodies have been publicly criticized (think Lizzo, Megan Trainor, Netta). But the song falls short because Hwasa never acknowledges she is in no danger of these criticisms herself.

The apparent body positivity is undercut by the underlying opposite, if unintended, message (love your body if you have Hwasa’s body).

What is the harm in having an implicit message contradict the explicit one If listeners take something positive from the whole thing? The comments for “I Love My Body” are very positive and if the people that listen to the song are are uplifted is there really a problem? I would say yes, but it also makes me wonder can we fail up on women’s issues. If so, I’m here for it.