15 Controversial Pop Songs That Faced Backlash
Plenty of pop songs released over the years have raised eyebrows for being deemed a little too controversial in the eyes of society — some even downright problematic.
Who can forget Kanye West's lyrics about wanting to have sex with Taylor Swift? Or the time Lady Gaga teamed up with R. Kelly? Times have changed and what used to be considered "acceptable" is no longer tolerated. Just ask Billie Eilish and Katy Perry, who both dropped tracks about wishing an ex was gay and faced some negative feedback from fans who deemed their lyrics harmful. (Though, to be fair, while Perry's song was stuffed with homophobic stereotypes, Eilish's song had a much different message.)
Some of our favorite pop stars have released a problematic song, a shocking music video, or even a few questionable lyrics during their music careers. And though most of them survived the public's backlash, many artists had to explain themselves in interviews or defend their tracks on social media.
From Ariana Grande to Justin Bieber, check out 15 of the most controversial pop songs, below.