Modern-day Activism: Bea Miller the "S.L.U.T. "

By: Inaijah Conyers
Beatrice Annika Miller, also known as Bea Miller,  is one of the many American female singers today that are redefining the music industry. At 19, Bea Miller already has an imminent voice in pop culture. Take for example Bea’s latest song, S.L.U.T. In this song, Bea takes a heavily negatively connotated word and changes it to mean sweet little unforgettable thing. She empowers women with just one simple acronym. As expected, Miller has received a mixture of both positive and negative responses from this song. Some people clearly missed her point when creating this song. Her intention was to take the word ‘slut’ back for women.

Every day, women all over the world are called a slut. And while to some, this word has little to no meaning, to others it does. This one word can destroy a person’s self- esteem and even the way they view others. And to make matters worse, it is constantly evolving into words like tramp, whore, hoe, and even into the acronym, thot. As young women in today’s society,  words like these are setbacks in advancing and achieving the equality we strive for. So when Miller came out with a song with such a provocative connotation, it caused an uproar.

Throughout the song, Miller shames people for slut-shaming and body-shaming. She tries to unite women and young girls and tell them it is okay to be themselves. Miller takes a stab at the way society always seems to put the blame on the girls and she tells them that they shouldn’t apologize for something that isn’t necessarily wrong. She shifts the hate girls get for being a girl and being herself in the chorus as she repeats:

“Shame, shame, shame on me, shame, shame, shame

Shame on me, baby, I ain't gon' change

Shame, shame, shame on me, shame, shame, shame

Shame on me, baby, I ain't gon' change (no, no, no)

Sweet little unforgettable thing, unforgettable

Sweet little unforgettable thing, so incredible

Know that I'm not sorry, I'm just loving my body

I don't care if you scared of a sweet little unforgettable thing”

Miller propels change in people’s behavior in saying ‘slut’ and owns the word entirely in this chorus. Another thing that we should applaud Bea Miller for is her courage and the timing of when she released this song. This song surfaced at the beginning of the #MeToo movement, in which women came out about being sexual assaulted. In doing this the effect on this song helps girls and women all over the world gain a little strength from it. She implies that it isn’t their fault and that they can overcome this weight they feel. She gives them her support in a very proclaimed way. Bea Miller recently said, “There are always going to be people who try to tear you down when they see that you’ve lifted yourself up.” And I think this is something we all should take into account and remember everyday.

As young aspiring adults, we need to become more aware of these words and phrases, because ultimately, we shape the future. And rebels like Bea Miller help us see just how blind we are to how messed up our society truly is. So thank you, Bea Miller for going against the system and fighting back for what you believe in.