Top 10 Blatant Innuendos In Pop Songs

#10: “Relax” (1983)Frankie Goes to Hollywood

This British group certainly weren’t mincing about when it came to the sexually charged video clip for “Relax.” The homegrown controversy behind Frankie Goes to Hollywood was actually so noteworthy back in the day that it got them briefly banned by the BBC. There was no stopping Frankie Goes to Hollywood from taking over their early ‘80s world, however, despite some humdrumming about how “Relax” freely celebrated its frank and explicit sexuality. The musical side of things seemed to echo this sentiment, as well, as the booming bass and pulsing synth drives home “Relax” with a vibe that’s almost menacing with how intensely it intends to make its presence known as an ode to catch-and-release seduction.

#9: “Whistle” (2012)

Flo Rida

We’d be here all day if we were to attempt counting all of the myriad ways songs have utilized placeholder metaphors in lieu of referencing private parts or the sexual act. “Whistle” by Flo Rida actually references both of these things, since the song is a not-so-subtle ode to one very specific sort of act on that spectrum. Flo Rida also chooses the word “whistle” as a noun to describe an aspect of his anatomy, so yeah, the meaning becomes very clear here, right from the get-go. Although we guess you could just take “Whistle” at face value? Maybe Flo Rida just likes to whistle while he works?

#8: “Peacock” (2012)Katy Perry

This tune didn’t need to be a single in order for it to briefly earn the ire of Katy Perry’s record company, Capitol. The label initially didn’t want “Peacock” to be included on Perry’s third LP, “Teenage Dream,” but the singer didn’t budge, so what we’re left with is…well, it’s a song. A song that makes no bones about comparing the male peacock’s beautiful plumage with some low-hanging comedic fruit. Perry wants to see that peacock, and she’s not gonna rest until it's shown off, in all of its presumed glory. It’s silly and juvenile, sure, but “Teenage Dream” did just fine on its own, with or without “Peacock.”

#7: “Genie in a Bottle” (1999)Christina Aguilera

There’s nothing new concerning the habitual inclusion of sexual innuendo within music that’s being marketed to a teen or pre-teen audience. Evidence of this promotional strategy can be traced back to the bubblegum pop artists of the sixties and seventies, while Christina Aguilera’s debut single “Genie in a Bottle” was a great example of this tactic taking shape in the late nineties. The song’s three songwriters clearly knew what their audiences might infer via the whole “rub me the right way” bit from the song’s chorus. Elsewhere, the verses also make no bones about how the protagonist clearly wants to do something, yet is reluctant to go all the way. It’s an interesting visual juxtaposition against Aguilera’s 2012 single, “Dirrty,” which was…well, exactly that.

#6: “Afternoon Delight” (1976)Starland Vocal Band

The songwriters behind the Starland Vocal Band are famous, and not just for their 1976 hit “Afternoon Delight.” Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert co-wrote “Take Me Home, Country Roads” with John Denver, but that little bit of trivia likely pales in comparison to the hubbub caused by their group, the Starland Vocal Band. That’s because “Afternoon Delight” was a song that celebrated what used to be referred to as a “nooner,” slang for a sexual rendezvous taking place during the day. The “skyrockets in flight” referenced in the song represent the aftereffects from such activity, a rather innocent ode to getting away for a bit with somebody you love…or at least like a little bit.

#5: “She Bop” (1984)Cyndi Lauper

Sure, it might’ve been easy for us to go with something more on-the-nose, a la “I Touch Myself by the Divinyls, but for our money Cyndi Lauper’s “She Bop” plays around a little better with its innuendo. We say “innuendo,” but actually a lot of people knew exactly what Lauper was cooking up with “She Bop,” even back in the ‘80s. After all, the subject of female self-love of the sexual variety wasn’t exactly commonplace around this time, but Lauper, to her credit, does such a good job on the entire tune. The musical hooks are catchy, Lauper’s vocals are on point, and “She Bop” remains one of this “unusual” star’s biggest hits.

#4: “Barbie Girl” (1997)Aqua

Every decade has retained its own, unique style of novelty hit that will forever remind those that were there about their youth’s strangest and perhaps questionable musical hits. Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” just has to be one of those defining tunes for the late nineties, a song that wears its vapidness upon a sleeve, while at the same time winking to its core audience. Both band and fan alike knew what was going on here, as Aqua played around with the Barbie doll’s complex history of sexual politics. In this sense, being “in on the joke” has allowed for “Barbie Girl” to endure a lot longer than other, perhaps less self-aware contemporaries of its day.

#3: “Pony” (1996)Ginuwine

Here’s a question: do you think that anybody was fooled by the artwork that accompanied the clean version of this 1996 single from Ginuwine? We find it hard to believe, even if that release of “Pony” did feature a normal, everyday-looking horse. Equine jokes aside, the actual sound of “Pony” is so filthy that it almost doesn’t need to play around with innuendo. That sweaty, R&B groove practically drips with an almost humid air, while Ginuwine knowingly plays around with the song’s subject matter in a manner that’s keenly self-aware. There were a lot of erotically-charged R&B tunes released back in the nineties, but “Pony” is definitely remembered more than most.

#2: “Milkshake” (2003)Kelis

It’s refreshing, in a way, to discuss and unpack all of the things that helped make “Milkshake” a hit for Kelis back in the day. The singer told About.com about how the song’s point was to celebrate that “something that makes women special,” and this overarching intent makes it easy for listeners to decide for themselves what that something is, exactly. The titular “milkshake” could mean a literal swaying of the hips, or it could be a certain level of confidence or grace that others find attractive. Thus, it’s cool that this jam from Kelis keeps this out of the gutter…for once, at least!

#1: “Cherry Pie” (1990)Warrant

Heavy metal was a big business on the pop charts back in the 1980s and into the ‘90s. This was where Warrant’s “Cherry Pie” made a huge impact, reaching number ten on the Billboard Top 100, despite its rather “on the nose” brand of lyrical innuendo. This was actually by design, since songwriter Jani Lane composed what he felt was a “throwaway” tune for Warrant’s label, Columbia. “Cherry Pie” was a certified hit, however, which effectively ended earlier plans to call the album “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Lane and crew were now saddled with the albatross of a novelty song that was full of fruit puns as their definitive radio tune, and they weren’t exactly thrilled from a creative standpoint.

Should artists go all in with their innuendo? Or shoot for subtlety? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!