Former One Direction singer Liam Payne is taking a lot of heat on social media over the content of a song on his debut solo album.
Liam released LP1 on Friday, and within a few hours, listeners began taking issue with a track called Both Ways, which many suggested “fetishised” bisexual women.
During the song’s refrain, Liam is heard singing: “Lovin’ the way that she’s turning you on, switching the lanes like a Bugatti Sport, nothing but luck that she got me involved, yeah.
“Flipping that body, go head, I go tails, sharing that body like it’s our last meal.” He continues: “She said we’re young and we’re stupid, she said, ‘come on, boy, let’s do this’, make every day my birthday, let’s celebrate, like oh my gosh, she do things you won’t believe.”
Many fans felt these lyrics perpetuate harmful stereotypes and sexualise bi women, voicing their concerns on social media in their droves...please if you support liam payne and his song ‘both ways’ get the FUCK away from me. that song sexualizes my sexuality to a MAXIMUM. i feel so uncomfortable and disgusted. #liampayneisoverpartypic.twitter.com/Xb5Lai1zvZ— 𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘢 (@bisexualcarisi) December 6, 2019tw: biphobia, misogyny both ways by liam payne is NOT a bisexual anthem. the lyrics fucking fetishize bisexual women. we aren’t bisexual because we want to fulfill men’s threesome fantasies. i am beyond disgusted and disappointed.— jen with two n’s (@truantswave) December 6, 2019as a bisexual woman, it was extremely uncomfortable reading the lyrics to ‘both ways’ by liam payne. he openly fetishizes the fact that a woman likes boys and girls, and he even mentions bi women in threesomes which furthers the stereotype that all bi ppl are only into that. pic.twitter.com/I9ovfDrPqq— 𝐚𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇+𝐋 (@alysscorpio) December 6, 2019i’m not going to pretend to know anything about liam payne. but this song of his? it’s a big no from me. please don’t fetishize bisexual people like that? just don’t. thanks bye. pic.twitter.com/vGyeyDYJFu— aeglan (@sufferingsweet) December 6, 2019Liam Payne...I am very sad to say I have to unstan. Both ways is a disgusting song that fetishizes bisexual women and I will not support it.— Lia IS SEEING HARRY (@kiwicherrybaby) December 6, 2019are you people serious? THIS is who you stan so much? he's fetishizing bisexual women for music. billie says she doesn't like a meat dress and everyone goes wild but l*am is biphobic as hell and you dont have anything to say? w-t-f. #liampayneisoverpartypic.twitter.com/SSrnrammmq— hannah :] (@glosskult) December 6, 2019yeahhhh liam payne fetishizing bisexual women isn’t my cup of tea #liampayneisoverparty 😳— anna (@coldbrewlesbian) December 6, 2019Okay, so I do not usually participate in cancel culture, but Liam Payne, bisexual women and bisexuals in general are not for u to fetishized. #//liampayneisoverparty— 𝒩𝑜𝓀𝒾𝑒 #istandwithmelissa 💗🥰 (@haughtscorp) December 6, 2019liam payne writing a song fetishizing bisexual women..... that album should’ve stayed in the drafts— louis (@dumbasslouis) December 6, 2019As a bisexual woman, I find Liam Payne’s fetishising of my sexuality disgusting. He’s perpetuating a SUPER harmful stereotype about bi women being overly sexual and sexual objects and I wanna know what made him think this was okay in 2019 pic.twitter.com/40MJAzAOaq— Pau (@thrumoonlight) December 6, 2019liam payne sexualizing bisexual women in his new song. pic.twitter.com/OmZeIY8o93— liz (@heungmintwt) December 6, 2019can’t believe i spent money to go see Liam payne next week and now he has released a song fetishising bisexual women??? who on his label thought that song was a good idea?? How did he record that thinking it was okay???— jasmine (@mtvjasmine) December 6, 2019As more people shared their thoughts about the track, #LiamPayneIsOverParty also began trending on Twitter.
The singer’s debut solo album hasn’t fared too well with critics, either, with one and two-star reviews in The Guardian, NME and The Independent.
The album features all of the material Liam has recorded since leaving One Direction, including Strip That Down, Bedroom Floor and the Rita Ora duet For You, taken from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack.
Shortly after the album was released on Friday, Liam unveiled the
music video for his Cheat Codes collaboration Live Forever, which serves as the ninth single to be taken from LP1.
Liam’s spokesperson declined to comment on the controversy when contacted by HuffPost UK.READ MORE... Liam Payne Unveils The Underwear Campaign That Led To A 'Clip Round The Ear' From His Mum Liam Payne Recalls Secret Feud With Fellow One Direction Star Louis Tomlinson Cheryl Insists She And Liam Payne Are Now On 'Great' Terms Following Split