- Number one hit "Belly Legs Po": body shaming or irony?
"Go to the gym, get skinny": Shirin David's new hit "Abs, Thighs, Butt" sparks controversy with its apparent celebration of a toned, slim body. But could it also be clever satire?
At 29, David is Germany's most successful singer in terms of number-one hits. No solo singer has had more number-one songs than her - not even Madonna, Tina Turner, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, or Rihanna. Not even Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Céline Dion, Adele, Taylor Swift, or Helene Fischer.
In fact, Helene Fischer only achieved a number one in the single charts last year through a collaboration with David and a re-release of "Atemlos" ("Breathless").
Before "Abs, Thighs, Butt" was even released, David faced criticism and disappointed fans when lyrics were leaked on social media. Is she promoting an unhealthy body image? Is she engaging in body shaming?
"I'm smart, but blonde and super-hot"
However, the lyrics seem to be so tongue-in-cheek that it's hard to take them seriously. But in an era of serious one-to-one understanding, is irony even understood anymore?
"You want a body? Then you've got to push! If you're a hottie, they'll look. Go to the gym, get skinny, make a show of it. We're pretty in bikinis. That's abs, thighs, butt."
The song also includes lines like "I'm out of office, don't call me. This is clean girl aesthetic, beauty program." And: "I'm smart, but blonde and super-hot."
Many miss the double entendre in the song and its provocative video. And accompanying events seem to confirm that David is indeed promoting fitness and slenderness.
She posted an "Iced Matcha Latte Recipe" and hosted a "Abs, Thighs, Butt" class with a fitness chain for selected fans - who appeared to be slim and fit.
But David knows exactly what she's doing. She rose to fame as a YouTuber and is a media professional like no other. She effortlessly walks the line between conforming to beauty trends and celebrating self-empowerment.
Message: Be a feminist and look good
What this supposedly different kind of feminism is all about, she explained to then-73-year-old Thomas Gottschalk in his last "Wetten, dass..?" show last November.
He didn't see her as a feminist, Gottschalk said. "Why not?", David asked the ZDF audience. "Because I'm good-looking? As a feminist, we can be good-looking, and we can be smart and eloquent and wonderfully beautiful all at once. One doesn't exclude the other."
With her confident and provocative performance, David gave Gottschalk ("I'm from the Alice Schwarzer generation") a piece of her mind.
She also reminded him that he once said influencers didn't belong on his couch, but she felt very comfortable there.
David cultivates the image of having fought her way through the male-dominated music industry for years. She's all about "You Go Girl" feminism - the motto being: As long as you like yourself and have a few people supporting you.
"And I know exactly what it's like to not be welcome, not invited, and ignored. I haven't been given anything by this industry or these people..."
"Indeed, their endurance is tremendous. And to all those who didn't believe in them, Shirin David writes in a confident hip-hop style: 'Fuck you, you don't need to arrive...'"
The European Union expressed its concern over the controversial lyrics and potential body shaming in Shirin David's song, expressing the importance of promoting positive body images.
Despite facing criticism, Shirin David defended her song during an interview with a German talk show, arguing that being a feminist and looking good are not mutually exclusive concepts.
