BitchSlut

According to Wise, the inspiration for the song stems from an altercation she had when she was eleven years old. A car of older men approached her and verbally sexually harassed her, which she responded to by giving the finger. She later cried; Wise dedicates "BitchSlut" to her younger self.{{Cite web |last=Duca |first=Lauren |date=2016-03-23 |title=Talking to Patriarchy-Smashing Musician Anna Wise |url=https://www.nylon.com/articles/anna-wise-interview |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Nylon |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Starling |first=Lakin |date=2016-04-27 |title=Anna Wise Declares The Power In Womanhood On Feminine: Act I |url=https://www.thefader.com/2016/04/28/anna-wise-debut-feminine-act-one |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=The Fader |language=en}}

"BitchSlut" is a feminist anthem about sexism. She opens the song with a line HuffPost described as a "powerful (and entirely accurate)" message about women feeling underpowered.{{Cite web |last=Hatch |first=Jenavieve |date=2016-03-11 |title=Allow This Feminist Anthem To Sum Up The BS Women Deal With Every Day |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/allow-this-feminist-anthem-to-sum-up-the-bs-women-deal-with-every-day_n_56e32f13e4b0860f99d908a0 |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=HuffPost |language=en}} The track then takes the form of a list of stereotypes, with Wise criticizing each one. The song's production has been described as "infectious" and "post-Dilla", with "floating synths and booming drum breaks".{{Cite web |last=Gonik |first=Michael |title=Anna Wise Delivers A Feminist Anthem For 2016 w/ Poignant New Single - Okayplayer |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/news/anna-wise-bitchslut-video.html |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Okayplayer |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Andrews-Duve |first=Myles |date=April 13, 2016 |title=Under the Radar |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&u=lom_inac&id=GALE|A449304314&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-GPS&asid=e286f0da |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Gale |series=UWIRE Text |publisher=ULOOP Inc.}} Some journalists consider the vocals to be part rap, part singing, and their style to be jagged and glossy.{{Cite web |last=Demerritt |first=Paul |date=July 12, 2016 |title=Anna Wise speaks out |url=https://creativeloafing.com/content-149294-anna-wise-speaks-out |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Creative Loafing |language=en}}

Wise described the track as a "clear ... declaration of freedom" about the double standards she believes men expect of women, with the chorus "I, I know what kind you are / If I say no, I’m a bitch / Say yes, I’m a slut" manifesting this meaning.{{Cite web |last=Jusino |first=Teresa |date=March 11, 2016 |title=Anna Wise Anthem BitchSlut Will Give You Life |url=https://www.themarysue.com/anna-wise-feminist-anthem-bitchslut/ |access-date=June 26, 2024 |website=The Mary Sue}} The refrain transition has been compared to the style of the American rock band Dirty Projectors. She also said that she wanted to talk about herself because of her gender, calling it "kind of selfish". The song takes part in the feminist discussion of altering the contexts of the insults bitch and slut to positively reappropriate them.{{Cite web |last=Rettig |first=James |date=March 7, 2016 |title=Anna Wise – "BitchSlut" (Stereogum Premiere) |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1863993/anna-wise-bitchslut-stereogum-premiere/news/ |access-date=June 26, 2024 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}

Tess Koman of Cosmopolitan called "BitchSlut" "lovely, uplifting, [and] head-bopping".{{Cite web |last=Koman |first=Tess |date=2016-03-11 |title=Prepare to Be Obsessed With "BitchSlut," a Song that Perfectly Captures Pressures Women Face |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/news/a55100/anna-wise-bitchslut-music-video/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Cosmopolitan |language=en-US}} Paul Demerritt of Creative Loafing believed the single was "standout" on its EP. Teresa Jusino of The Mary Sue noted the single's replayability, saying it "will be the next track you can't stop listening to". Jenavieve Hatch of HuffPost hoped it would become the song of the summer, with Spin calling the song's refrain the "most casually patriarchy-dismantling" of 2016.{{Cite web |last=D.W. |date=July 15, 2016 |title=SPIN Overlooked Albums Report: The Goon Sax and Let's Eat Grandma are Teenagers of the Year |url=https://www.spin.com/2016/07/overlooked-albums-goon-sax-case-lang-veirs-lets-eat-grandma-nite-funk-anna-wise-japanese-breakfast/ |access-date=June 27, 2024 |website=Spin}}

"BitchSlut" was listed as one of the best songs of the week by Stereogum and Consequence.{{Cite web |date=March 11, 2016 |title=The 5 Best Songs Of The Week |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1865187/the-5-best-songs-of-the-week-133/lists/the-5-best-songs-of-the-week/ |access-date=June 26, 2024 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-03-11 |title=Top 10 Songs of the Week (3/11) |url=https://consequence.net/2016/03/top-10-songs-of-the-week-311/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Consequence |language=en-US}} It also made year-end lists, including Shawn Setaro of Complex's ten favorite songs of the year and "The 50 Best Protest Songs of 2016" by The Village Voice.{{Cite web |last= |date=December 21, 2016 |title=The Complex Staff Lists Their Favorite Songs and Albums of 2016 |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/complex/complex-staff-best-albums-songs-2016 |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Complex |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Village Voice staff |date=2016-12-21 |title=The 50 Best Protest Songs of 2016 |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/the-50-best-protest-songs-of-2016/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=The Village Voice |language=en-US}}

The song was released alongside a homemade music video, in which Wise features as the lone actor, wearing sunglasses. Throughout the video, she appears in various settings, including a bedroom, in a swimming pool, in a bathtub, and in the outdoors.{{Cite web |last=Wise |first=Anna |date=March 7, 2016 |title=Anna Wise - BitchSlut |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_0ojDuOHyU |access-date=June 26, 2024 |website=YouTube}} The video was directed by Wise and filmed by Patti Miller.

{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:BitchSlut}}

Category:2016 singles

Category:2016 songs

Category:Songs written by Anna Wise

Category:Songs with feminist themes

Category:Feminist anthems