"Slutwave" Really Isn't All That Slutty

The dinosaurs at Rolling Stone have declared “slutwave”—over-the-top sexual music by female pop stars—as “fake genre of the year.” Now Complex has compiled a “slutwave” greatest hits list. Are sluts finally being recognized for decades of accomplishments?

While slutwave was coined due to the recent efforts of stars like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Ke$ha, a quick glance at Complex’s 25 Greatest Slutwave Songs reveals that slutty musical sentiments can be traced back to at least 1982, when Vanity wanted “seven inches or more,” followed quickly by Madonna and Samantha Foxx. Interestingly, some are quick to accuse such artists of clamoring for male attention with their suggestive dancing, explicit lyrics and limited clothing, but ultimately, the one thing that all of these women have in common is not their dedication to aggressive lust and salaciousness, but rather, their strong female following. We now have decades worth of pop cultural anecdotal proof that girls love dancing to songs about sex. If we want to jump to conclusions, they probably love sex, period. (And in some instances, period sex.) Isn’t that funny? They think they’re people!