Lily Allen Faces ‘Hard Out Here’ Racism Backlash

Lily Allen has managed to stir up a whole lot of controversy in the 24 hours since she revealed her comeback single, Hard Out Here, and its twerktastic accompanying video, with the British singer being accused of exploiting and misrepresenting women of colour.

The clip seems to poke fun at Miley Cyrus, with a mostly clothed Allen slapping the butt of her black backup dancer, causing some outrage amongst the folks on the internet. But the 28-year-old popette has hit back at the claims, taking to Twitter to defend herself against the suggestion that she’s propagating racism:

“Privilege, Superiority and Misconceptions

1. If anyone thinks for a second that I requested specific ethnicities for the video, they’re wrong.

2. If anyone thinks that after asking the girls to audition, I was going to send any of them away because of the colour of their skin, they’re wrong.

3. The message is clear. Whilst I don’t want to offend anyone. I do strive to provoke thought and conversation. The video is meant to be a lighthearted satirical video that deals with objectification of women within modern pop culture. It has nothing to do with race, at all.

4. If I could dance like the ladies can, it would have been my arse on your screens; I actually rehearsed for two weeks trying to perfect my twerk, but failed miserably. If I was a little braver, I would have been wearing a bikini too, but I do not and I have chronic cellulite, which nobody wants to see. What I’m trying to say is that me being covered up has nothing to do with me wanting to disassociate myself from the girls, it has more to do with my own insecurities and I just wanted to feel as comfortable as possible on the shoot day.

5. I’m not going to apologise because I think that would imply that I’m guilty of something, but I promise you this, in no way do I feel superior to anyone, except paedophiles, rapists murderers etc., and I would not only be surprised but deeply saddened if I thought anyone came away from that video feeling taken advantage of,or compromised in any way.

6. Ask the ladies yourselves @shalaeuroasia @monique_Lawz @ceodancers @TempleArtist @SelizaShowtime @melycrisp”

Parody or cultural appropriation? Either way, it’s set tongues wagging, which seems to be the main aim of commercial pop these days. Hard Out Here is Allen’s first original release since 2009, following her cover of Keane‘s Somewhere Only We Know. Her comeback album is scheduled for release in 2014.

Watch: Lily Allen – Hard Out Here

(via Pigeons and Planes)

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