Certified Geek: Hozier’s Simp Status and “WAP” Have More In Common Than You Think

The quiet sensuality in Hozier’s music is just as “dirty” as the explicit sexuality in Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP.”

Written by Beril Lara Saygin

Illustrated by Vildan Karaca

Starting in grade school, girls are told to accept that women’s bodies are more policed than men’s, with double standards in dress code, athletics, and sex-ed. For example, girls are often taught to, “guard their virginities,” yet those who do are labeled prudes and those who do not are slut-shamed. Such sexism often influences listeners’ reception of female artists. “WAP,” the megahit single from rap queens Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, shocked listeners who couldn’t believe that two female artists could flaunt their sexuality so boldly whilst featuring female pleasure — a complete perversion of much of the rap genre. Although no more explicit than songs by male artists such as Jason Derulo or Petey Pablo, the vulgarity and objectification in songs such as “Talk Dirty” and “Freak-a-Leak” are normalized and deemed  socially acceptable, exemplifying the perpetual double standard for women and female artists. 

Cardi and Meg are prime examples of brazen women whom the rules of polite society seem to no longer apply to. “WAP” and its accompanying music video, a gloriously colorful and raunchy celebration of female sexual liberation, scorn convention. Although the song is perhaps an untraditional avenue to stick it to the man, “WAP” defies social constructs by toeing the line of what is ‘publicly acceptable.’ The song  sneers at the taboo of female sexual liberation, angers conservatives, encourages women to reclaim their sexuality, and quashes slut-shaming, all while having a catchy chorus. 

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are not shy. If anything, they’re unapologetically explicit: “Beat it up, n----, catch a charge / Extra large and extra hard / Put this p-ssy right in your face / Swipe your nose like a credit card.” While some listeners felt scandalized by the duo, the explicit lyrics are not atypical of the rap genre. Raunchy lyrics aside,  artists like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion reach a wide audience, both through their music and social media. Although she also uses Instagram live streams for entertainment purposes, Cardi B also discusses social, economic, health, and political issues. In a recent New York Times article, Megan Thee Stallion spoke about sexism, racism, objectification, and prejudice against Black women. These women use their platforms as entertainers and influencers to speak up against the inundation of prejudice that women — especially women of color — are subject to.

Photo courtesy of Atlantic Records

Across the pond, a sheepish Irishman towering at six feet and six inches tenderly sings about birds and blasphemy, radicalizing his music in his own right. Known for hits like “Take Me to Church” and “Cherry Wine,” singer, songwriter, and musician Hozier sings about themes not dissimilar to Cardi B, but his music is a bluesy, folksy, indie melee of sensual poetry. Hozier’s sound is entirely different from “WAP,” but like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, Hozier defies male artist tropes. The women he sings about are never objectified, and there exists an almost radical sexual equality in his songs. The quiet sensuality of Hozier’s lyrics convey a similar sense of empowerment as Cardi B’s assertiveness. 

Hozier primarily employs clever, seemingly innocent word play to convey sensual and often sexual tones. In “Dinner and Diabetes,” a song about the relief of leaving a tedious social engagement, Hozier sings: “Honey, I laugh when it sinks in / A pillar I am, upright / Scarcely can speak for my thinking / What you’d do to me tonight.” Although masked by euphemism, Hozier’s lyrics in this song are no less ‘dirty’ than those in “WAP.”

By associating cleanliness and purity with sexual desire, Hozier subverts the societal shame and judgement typically associated with them. The primary difference between Hozier and the rap duo is their tones: “WAP” portrays sex (particularly female pleasure), with a confident, unapologetic power, while Hozier’s tone is much gentler. Uncharacteristic of many male artists, Hozier often focuses on both female and male pleasure, yet the sweetness of his songs makes them seem cleaner than Cardi B’s. She sings about sex; he sings about ‘making love.’ He focuses on the beauty of hedonism and purity of human desire. As in “From Eden,” “Take Me to Church,” and “Be,” Hozier often juxtaposes religious devotion with sexuality. While many conservative religious institutions teach shame around sex and desire — typically framed around women — Hozier is a devoted worshipper of the senses. 

In a 2014 interview with New York Magazine, Hozier spoke about the contrast between religious teaching and basic human desire. “An act of sex is one of the most human things,” he said. “But an organization like the church, say, through its doctrine, would undermine humanity by successfully teaching shame about sexual orientation — that it is sinful, or that it offends God. (“Take Me to Church”) is about asserting yourself and reclaiming your humanity through an act of love.” 

Hozier describes sex and sensuality as the purest form of human expression: “There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin / In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene / Only then I am human / Only then I am clean.” Rather than dirty and shameful, sex is once again beautiful, and the use of “our gentle sin” implies both pleasure and physical and emotional responsibility for both people involved.  

Photo courtesy of Island Records

Perhaps most telling of the sexism in our society is that Hozier is lauded as a feminist simply for his respectful portrayal of women. But, as evidenced by the strong, inflammatory reactions garnered by “WAP,” we are far from normalizing sexuality sung from women’s perspectives. For example, in “NFWMB,” the male narrator holds the power: “Give your heart and soul to charity / Cause the rest of you / The best of you / Honey, belongs to me.” The same song also features submission to a woman: “If I was born as a blackthorn tree / I’d wanna be felled by you / Held by you / Fuel the pyre of your enemies” (“NFWMB”). Additionally, Hozier’s “Cherry Wine” calls attention to domestic abuse. While the song’s lyrics feature a female abuser, the accompanying music video, which retains the original lyrics, features a male abuser. 

Upon initial listening, it seems that Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion and Hozier are water and oil. However, both swim against the traditional current of the music industry in different ways: Cardi and Meg with their outspokenness and Hozier with his tranquil respectfulness. Although both the rap duo and Hozier include female sexual empowerment in their music, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion were met with harsher reception and more criticism than Hozier ever has seen. Especially in recent years, few female rap duos have taken the music scene by storm as much as Cardi B and Megan. 

Perhaps it is a good thing, however, that “WAP” has received such an inflammatory response by highlighting the double standard in the music industry: women are expected to present a more docile, family friendly version of themselves while maintaining a sexual appeal for male audiences. The music industry should allow female artists as much freedom to express themselves as their male counterparts. Although one is best for practicing your twerk skills and the other may belong on your crying playlist, both “WAP” and Hozier’s songs should be appreciated and expunge traditional gender roles in music.