Top 10 2000s Songs That Aged Badly
#10: “Seventeen Forever” (2008)
Metro Station Following their breakout hit “Shake It”, scene band Metro Station wanted to move onto something with more substance. According to lead singer Trace Cyrus, “Seventeen Forever” is about the challenges about pursuing a relationship. What made what should be a standard song questionable is the fact that the girl that’s described is a bit young. That makes lyrics about her being “wise beyond [her] years.” feel incredibly skeevy. Since Cyrus was 19 at the time of its release, the song is hard to listen to when you know what it's about. And thinking about him singing it can only get worse as he gets older. Maybe he and the rest of Metro Station should’ve just kept shaking it.
#9: “Alfie” (2006)
Lily Allen Pop songs about lazy, good-for-nothing men have been around since the dawn of time: just ask Aretha Franklin, or TLC. But the case of Lily Allen’s “Alfie” is a bit different. The track centers around her brother’s time as an unemployed video game addict. However, today he’s an acclaimed actor best known for his role as Theon Greyjoy on “Game of Thrones.” He even received an Emmy nomination for the show’s final season. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to have taken the song personally, especially given how wrong it ended up being. While we certainly won’t question Lily’s songwriting abilities, it’s safe to say the song was a bit shortsighted.
#8: “Cater 2 U” (2005)
Destiny’s Child A lot can change in five years. After releasing “Independent Women” at the turn of the millennium, Destiny’s Child pivoted to 2005’s “Cater 2 U.” While there’s certainly nothing wrong with catering to your significant other, the song seemed at odds with their female empowerment ballads. Lines like “my life would be purposeless without you.” definitely felt like the women of Destiny’s Child lacked agency. When Usher and Babyface later performed a male version with many of the same lyrics, the song felt a little bit more equal. But “Cater 2 U” still feels out of character for the group’s discography today.
#7: “Unbreakable” (2005)
Alicia Keys When writing a potentially timeless love song, you might want to be careful about which couples you shout out. Within the verses of “Unbreakable,” Alicia Keys references celeb power couples that were then seen as aspirational. But several of them have been rocked by scandal or completely separated. Outside of the divorced Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons, “Unbreakable” praises Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. The latter duo has repeatedly been in the news for relationship drama. However, the couple that really sticks out like a sore thumb is Bill and Camille Cosby. There are a number of fairly obvious reasons to cringe when hearing their names today. Thankfully, Keys has plenty of other romantic hits that won’t expire anytime soon.
#6: “Better than Revenge” (2010)
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Taylor Swift On “Better than Revenge,” Taylor Swift went after a woman who supposedly stole her boyfriend. The song’s most mean-spirited lyric says the person in question is “better known for the things that she does on the mattress.” Many believe the scathing and shaming song is about actress Camilla Belle, who Swift’s ex Joe Jonas moved on with after their breakup. Over the years, Swift has faced a lot of backlash for her dating decisions. Seeing her call someone else for their choices came off as wrong considering everything she’s been through.“Better than Revenge” may have been released on the cusp of a new decade, but its message belongs firmly in the 2000s.
#5: “Stupid Girls” (2006)
P!nk Once lauded for its feminist commentary, P!nk’s “Stupid Girls” has since come under fire for putting down some women to uplift others. The music video ramps up this criticism to ten. P!nk blatantly pokes fun at female celebrities like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Simpson, and the Olsen twins. There’s also a few lyrics that seem to judge a woman solely on appearance. And the video also doesn’t exactly approach the perils of disordered eating with the most sensitivity. P!nk’s overall message that women shouldn’t be pressured into conforming to societal expectations for attention is a great one. Unfortunately, it’s hard to hear over the shots at famous names.
#4: The Original Version of “Let’s Get It Started” (2004)
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The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get It Started” seems like an innocent party song. But it was originally recorded under a different, much more offensive name. In the original version, there’s the repeated use of a horribly offensive R-word in the chorus. Fortunately, they altered the lyrics to include “started” instead as part of a broadcast deal. The positive reception to the inoffensive edition of the song pushed them to emphasize the rerecording while slowly phasing the original out. Although the new version was released quickly, it’s still hard not for longtime fans to think of how problematic the lyrics once were.
#3: “Don’t Trust Me” (2008)
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3OH!3 This song’s fast pace and cheeky turns of phrase made it a really fun club hit. But it definitely isn’t without its flaws. When revisiting the song, it’s impossible to ignore a bridge where they…sexualize Helen Keller? Besides that horrifying tidbit, the song spends plenty of time shaming the woman at the center of the tune for being physical. The lyrics spend a lot of them calling her by the name of a certain garden tool. Despite finding her attractive, 3OH!3 has a little too much contempt for the woman in question for “Don’t Trust Me” to come off as anything but mean. You can trust that you’ll likely get a few odd looks if you throw this track on at a party today.
#2: “Blame It” (2009)
RIJELL - Not To Blame (Audio)
Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain While people may not pay close attention to the lyrics at first listen, they can get pretty disturbing upon close inspection. The song focuses on intoxicated people getting very close while in the club. But it’s unclear whether any party is in the right state of mind to consent to the mature action that the song is hinting at. In the years since the song was released, songs where the power dynamic feels problematic have been called out. “Blurred Lines” is just one example of backlash to a song with dicey lyrics about consent. If released today, people might be calling out the questionable implications of “Blame It” instead of just singing along.
#1: “Ur So Gay” (2007)
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Katy Perry In “Ur So Gay,” Katy Perry unleases a hurricane of insults and gripes towards her ex-boyfriend. The verses call him out for everything from his clothing choices to the amount of makeup he wears. And the chorus repeatedly calls him “gay” along the way. Since the lyrics could’ve focused on her ex’s flaws without mentioning his sexuality, it’s been called out. Critics have pointed out that the song makes being gay sound like a negative thing. Since Katy Perry’s been praised for her contributions to the LGBT+ community since the song came out, this track sticks out more. While both the singer and songwriter have said it was all meant to be a joke, some critics still think the song’s a bit messed up.
