Top 10 Subtly Sexual Pop Songs
#10: “Cake by the Ocean” (2015) DNCE
Upon hearing this song, you may have been perplexed by why Joe Jonas and the rest of DNCE appeared obsessed with eating “cake by the ocean.” We love dessert too, but there’s a limit! Yet when you listen carefully, there’s also mention of “cravings” that don't exactly sound innocent. Still, it leaves a lot to the imagination. Well, Jonas confirmed that the title was a euphemism for getting intimate. Naturally, that creates a completely different listening experience. It turns out Swedish producers Mattman & Robin were saying “cake by the ocean” when trying to mention a drink named after doing the deed at the beach. The mix-up was seemingly too good not to take advantage of, and we’re certainly not complaining about the end result!
#9: “Wannabe” (1996) Spice Girls
Everyone knows that the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” spotlights the importance of female friendships. But while we were focused on that, we missed the rap’s meaning. The lyrics get, well, spicy in the most subtle of ways, laying out what the group members enjoy in bed. They talk about Baby “[liking] it in your face,” and follow it up with a seemingly unfinished line about Ginger and Sporty. But it’s not unfinished at all. Apparently, the subsequent phonetic “E” in “Easy V” is the missing piece, referencing a certain illicit substance that gets people feeling ecstatic. And when they mention Posh not coming easily? They likely aren’t talking about her attendance at the club! That’s one way to shatter the illusions millennials grew up with.
#8: “Digital Get Down” (2000) NSYNC
In the year 2000, NSYNC was pretty much everywhere. For those of us who were still young when the millennium began, “Digital Get Down” seemed like a typically amazing boy band bop. After all, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, there’s nothing super explicit about it. We thought they were singing about seeing their partners virtually, and flirting a little. But you know what they say, hindsight is 20/20. When breaking down the lyrics, you realize that they’re doing way more than connecting on a purely emotional level, if you catch our drift. With remarks about “getting freaky deaky” and being “together on the digital screen,” it seems NSYNC was using the technology at their disposal to its fullest potential.
#7: “La La” (2004) Ashlee Simpson
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This fun number by Ashlee Simpson disguises a sensual message in G-rated clothing by cleverly avoiding any outright reference to intimacy. Instead, the artist suggestively sings about someone who’s making her want to “la la” on the kitchen floor. The whole song is actually riddled with provocative imagery, with Simpson mentioning everything from role playing to drinking milk like a cat. It’s easy to get lost in the track’s pop-rock energy and just take the rest at face value. But there’s a whole other layer present that makes it much more adult than you’d ever expect. It might be wise to think twice before singing this one in public from now on, lest people catch on and start giving you dirty looks!
#6: “Watermelon Sugar” (2019) Harry Styles
Harry Styles sings each word of “Watermelon Sugar” with such excitement and feeling that it’s hard not to get wrapped up in it. And as he croons about wanting a “taste” and “getting washed away” in someone, it feels like he’s dropping little hints for us to pick up on. So people started speculating that the “strawberries” and “watermelon sugar” he repeatedly talks about are code for something far more explicit. Still, while many suspected the song was sexual in nature, nobody knew for certain, since Styles typically stopped short of giving a confirmation. But in 2021, he finally revealed that it’s about female pleasure. We can’t quite help but look at fruit a whole lot differently now.
#5: “Love Myself” (2015) Hailee Steinfeld
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“Love Myself” sees Hailee Steinfeld putting herself first, and is a powerful ode to self-love and confidence. Now, on the surface, it sounds like she’s just singing about learning to be comfortable in your own skin, and realizing you don’t need to be in a relationship. But lyrics like “I know how to scream my own name,” could also be viewed as a celebration of literally loving yourself physically. The words “self service” being written on the singer’s bodysuit in the music video certainly lend credence to this interpretation. According to Steinfeld herself, the crux of the song is “self-empowerment.” She continued, saying “whether you take that as something physical or not, it basically means the same thing.” Here’s to that!
#4: “Shut Up and Drive” (2007) Rihanna
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It took us longer than we’d like to admit to realize that Rihanna isn’t really singing about cars here. While the singer is indeed looking for “a driver who is qualified,” it’s not to operate a literal motor vehicle. No, she needs him to handle a different kind of engine – hers. The whole song is one giant metaphor, masking a desire and invitation to get physical, and it’s brilliant. Once you get the picture she’s painting, lines such as “You look like you can handle what's under my hood” take on a whole new meaning. It’s enough to make you think twice and look for double-entendres in everything you hear! Needless to say, “Shut Up and Drive” takes listeners on a wild – and priceless – ride.
#3: “Genie in a Bottle” (1999) Christina Aguilera
Most of us have probably seen Disney’s 1992 animated movie “Aladdin.” So the idea of rubbing a lamp to get a genie to exit and grant you wishes doesn’t sound strange. And it certainly doesn’t sound sexual! Christina Aguilera seemingly used that fact to her advantage, and infused the concept with as much innuendo as possible in this 1999 song. She becomes the genie, longing to be “set free,” or stimulated. But if someone wants her to come play? Well, then they have to “rub [her] the right way,” because she knows her worth. If they do, she’ll grant a very specific type of “wish,” and it’s not the kind Aladdin was making. It’s safe to say this isn’t the genie you grew up with!
#2: “If U Seek Amy” (2008) Britney Spears
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Listeners have to bust out their best spelling skills to grasp the hidden seductive meaning in this one. If you’re like us, you probably spent the first few listens wondering who Amy is and why Spears is obsessed with finding her. Of course, there’s more to the story, as she’s notably calling out the world’s treatment of her. But a super sexual tale has also been woven just underneath the surface, making you dig a little deeper to experience it in all its provocative glory. The lightbulb moment that happens when you sing the words fast enough and realize they spell out “F-U-C-K me” is earth-shattering. The genius wordplay makes it feel like a racy song within a song, and we’ll never tire of it. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Work from Home” (2016), Fifth Harmony feat. Ty Dolla $ign The Girl Group References a More Pleasurable Type of Labor That Happens After Hours “Not Fair” (2009), Lily Allen The Track Exposes a Selfish Lover Who Always Reaches His Metaphorical Destination Early “Cool for the Summer” (2015), Demi Lovato An Ode to Leaning Into Sexual Desires & Curiosity “Live While We're Young” (2012), One Direction This Upbeat Number Is All About Having Casual Fun
#1: “Barbie Girl” (1997) Aqua
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What do you think of when you picture a Barbie doll? We’re guessing many visualize a wholesome character with a lot of jobs and great style, who’s innocently dating Ken. Aqua takes that clean image and flips it on its head with “Barbie Girl.” The song chronicles a blossoming physical relationship between the titular character and her aforementioned beau. She notably sings about how she’ll let him “touch” and “play” if they get serious. Yet it’s skillfully wrapped up in fun bubblegum pop packaging that conceals its risqué nature. Kids were listening to the tune on repeat in the ‘90s without a single clue as to what they were hearing. Who can blame them?! Go ahead, sing along, we know you want to.
