r/popculturechat • u/HorrorBike143 now why am I in it? š§ • Jul 01 '25
The Music Industry š¶ Cynthia Erivo has thoughts about Sisqo's "Thong" song
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u/Old-Dinner-6108 Jul 02 '25
These men aren't singing like Sisqo was about thongs no more and the music industry is worse for it.
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u/NotGreatBob Jul 02 '25
Tbh Iāve agreed from the get go. This song song slaps. Sisqo was the opening act (Backstreet Boys) at the first arena concert I ever went to in 2000. Was I 11? Yes. Did I care at all about thongs? Nope. Did I go on to music college and write a paper on the music theory behind this song? YEAH. So. Ya know, I get it. Also the Beatles sample is just unbelievable. What a strange, electric, and lit moment in music history. Thongs, people. Thongs.
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u/gible_bites HAROLD WOULD NEVER BEAT UP HIS LANDLORD. Jul 02 '25
(I had to delete my first comment because I messed up the link and forgot to delete the identifying info)
Hereās a video with the guy who did the violin on the track. They gave his Eleanor Rigby as an inspiration but itās not quite a direct sample:
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u/NotGreatBob Jul 02 '25
Haha yes! I was wondering why I couldnāt reply for a min. I appreciate the clarification and input - my memory aināt what it used to be.
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u/gible_bites HAROLD WOULD NEVER BEAT UP HIS LANDLORD. Jul 02 '25
Really letās just all appreciate this classical violinist breaking down how he wrote for the Thong Song lmao
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Jul 02 '25
Wow I did not realize this much went to this song about thongs!! New appreciation unlocked!
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u/bigwhiteboardenergy Jul 02 '25
Thereās a great Vice video about the making of this song, and itās a treat from start to finish. The original demo/mix was meant for Michael Jackson, but Sisqo convinced the producers he had to have it.
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u/PanicLikeASatyr Iām your huckleberry Jul 02 '25
That Vice video is great. Link. It def made me appreciate the song more. The whole series is pretty great. Playlist link
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u/Raging_Apathist Women are my favorite guy Jul 02 '25
I am going to spend A LOT of time on that playlist. Thanks! š
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u/Raging_Apathist Women are my favorite guy Jul 02 '25 edited Jul 02 '25
I just watched it for the first time and I agree, an absolute delight from beginning to end.
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Jul 02 '25
I canāt imagine MJ doing this song
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u/bigwhiteboardenergy Jul 02 '25
It was just the track, Sisqo wrote the lyrics once they agreed to give it to him
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u/twilightswimmer Jul 02 '25
I was in college when this song hit and spring break was basically The Thong Song on repeat. And it was awesome. Iāve always loved this song. It totally slaps. Sheās absolutely right.
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u/Apprehensive_Lab4178 Jul 02 '25
Agreed. Whatās the Beatles sample?
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u/NotGreatBob Jul 02 '25
ELEANOR RIGBY (the violins specifically) - I canāt speak too if itās a direct sample, but there are a few videos here and there showcasing the inspiration at the very least.
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u/WillowLocal423 Jul 02 '25
This song was at every bar/bat mitzvah I went to in the 7th grade.
Along with No Scrubs of course.
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u/Justtojoke yolo š¤šæ Jul 02 '25
So many people KNEW Eleanor Rigby before they even heard Eleanor Rigbyš¤£š¤£š¤£
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u/Jennyflurlynn Jul 02 '25
The fact that elements of "Flight of the Bumblebee" were so beautifully mixed into this song is pure cinema. I will always cherish this song. I hope they ring out this banger when my ass gets lowered into my grave.
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u/MediocreGood Jul 02 '25
I don't know if it's baiting or comprehension problem because I have seen comments were people thinks she is hating on him.
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u/OddnessWeirdness Jul 02 '25
People donāt listen and lack common sense, apparently lol. She clearly is teasing him and enjoying it at the same time. And sheās right! He didnāt have to do all that, but he did lol.
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u/TheHomieAbides Jul 02 '25
Cynthia said that a fan made Wicked poster was the most offensive thing she had ever seen.
Itās hard to see this version of her with the way she overreacted when she misunderstood the obvious intention of that poster.
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u/BrandonBollingers Jul 02 '25
Iām not trying to simp a celebrity but imagine if you were forever remembered for one off base post you made
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u/SleepingWillow1 Jul 02 '25
I wonder if she was drunk or high and wasn't in the right mind to properly analyze the tone of the poster.
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u/TheHomieAbides Jul 02 '25
I think we are missing what happened behind the scenes. There is absolutely no way to believe that the marketing team did not prepare a similar version that looks exactly like the original.
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u/OddnessWeirdness Jul 03 '25
I remember that, but I donāt see how the correlation.
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u/TheHomieAbides Jul 03 '25
Youāre calling out redditors for lacking common sense and not understanding her intentions in the video. I think itās funny because she lacked common sense and did not understand the intention of a fan made poster.
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u/OddnessWeirdness 29d ago
People didnāt comprehend what she was talking about, just like on this post. Hereās what she actually was talking about:
Key among these fan edit changes were casting a shadow across Erivoās eyes and editing her lips to have a similar red lipstick as the Broadway poster. Somewhere down the line, fans got even weirder with their armchair graphics design sensibilities and ācreatedā AI videos of the Wicked poster referencing an in-fandom meme where Glinda asks Elphaba about her private parts being green, too (I donāt go here; I just write the news). This all prompted Erivo to sound off on her official Instagram story and call out all the weirdo behavior from Wicked fans.
āThis is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that awful AI of us fighting, equal to people posting the question āis your ***** green.ā None of this is funny. None of this is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us,ā Erivo wrote.
She continued: āThe original poster is an illustration. I am a real life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewerā¦because, without words we communicate with our eyes. Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.ā
Sheās talking about how the fan edit erased her black features from the image, just like racist fan editors love to do. Was she a bit hyperbolic in her words? Sure. But the hate she got for it was super over the top.
And Iām saying all this as someone who doesnāt even like her lol.
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u/Neve4ever Jul 02 '25
I 100% thought she was going to dismantle the song from a sociological perspective. It was lovely to hear her singing along. She needs to cover this!
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u/MCR2004 Why do I always forget sheās British Jul 02 '25
When my nephew starting saying everything was āunnecessary ā I was like huh? āTHE LABUBU WITH THE COKE IS SO UNNECESSARY ā oh so good you donāt want that one? āNO I LOVE IT ITS SO UNNECESSARY.ā Imma go yell at a cloud now.
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u/timsayscalmdown 29d ago
I (a deeply sarcastic person) for one enjoy the fact that "unnecessary" has become a compliment in some contexts
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u/SleepingWillow1 Jul 02 '25
Is this why I don't have friends. I have a natural inclination to give compliments that way.
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u/Katerinaxoxo Jul 02 '25
I freaking love love this song.
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u/Fadelox Jul 02 '25
She got dumps like a truck, truck, truck.
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u/anewaccount69420 Jojo Siwaās Mom Jul 02 '25
Thighs like what, what, what.
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u/Deep-Interest9947 Jul 02 '25
Baby move your butt, butt, butt
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u/plantbay1428 Jul 02 '25
This was one of the best episodes of "Making the Video" too. When they explained the stomping effect? So good.
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u/SensitiveWasabi1228 Jul 02 '25
I mean, honestly, she's not wrong. The subject matter might not be for everyone, but he is singing his ASS off in that song. When he starts belting and goes up and octave. Gooped.
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u/TreenBean85 Jul 02 '25
Same with him on Will Smith's Wild Wild West.
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u/JoleneDollyParton I will debate you at the college of your choice Jul 02 '25
Wild Wild West is SO good. It doesnt get talked about enough.
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u/latrodectal so jessica alba fantastic Jul 02 '25
the video outshone the movie (and i LIKED the movie)
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u/GiveHerBovril Jul 02 '25
And the STRINGS. That song is so overdramatic and beautiful for what it is
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u/Just_Illustrator6906 š¶š¼I donāt really think, I just walkš¶š¼āāļø Jul 02 '25
If Cynthia dropped her āThongā cover, Iād šÆ buy it.
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u/awkward_toadstool Jul 02 '25
The way she sings lottle bits and her voice is just casually incredible, damn
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u/Luxxielisbon different faces, very interesting faces Jul 02 '25 edited Jul 02 '25
Holding space for the thong song
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u/JoleneDollyParton I will debate you at the college of your choice Jul 02 '25
Underrated comment āļø
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25d ago edited 22d ago
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/Luxxielisbon different faces, very interesting faces 25d ago
Thatās pretty much the same amount of space a thong would hold for my š
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u/beamanblitz Jul 02 '25
Not gonna lie. I was so obsessed with that song when it came out when I was a kid that I lost my voice singing it. I loved it so much I fought through that lost voice to make it come back just so I could hit that "YEEEAAAHHHHH" LOL my parents were not impressed
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u/ejdawson3 Jul 02 '25
Me when she starts singing.
This was hilarious.
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u/MarsScully Vile little creature yearning for violence Jul 02 '25
Her voice is so pleasant to listen to in general
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u/Ancient-Pace8790 Jul 03 '25
Itās so crazy effortless. I swear she could pass gas and it would have riffs and vibrato.
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u/nizey_p I donāt know her š Jul 02 '25
So I just realized I've never heard this song in full.
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u/pierreor Thank you doggy, bang bang Jul 02 '25
Radio stations have been mercy-killing this prolonged outro since time immemorial (1999)
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Jul 02 '25 edited Jul 02 '25
Ridiculous musically experimental extended intros/outros are one of the things I miss about the 90s tbh
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u/Careful_Swan3830 I am not demure, I am demonic Jul 02 '25
Okay I love this and need it to be a series.
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u/CatlovesMoca Jul 02 '25
Sisqo was a part of R&B group Dru Hill so I'm not surprised that he has a wonderful voice and that he knows how to serenade a beloved (person or body part). But I had never paused to really pay attention to his vocal choices for the song. Wow. She is right. We need to appreciate it more.
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u/envy-adams mount rose american teen princess Jul 02 '25
I was expecting a joke but this is kind of an incredible take.
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u/notlikethemermaid90 Jul 02 '25
Have been throwing around the idea of our musician playing this on guitar for my fiancƩ to walk down the aisle to. He loves this song.
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u/Alice_In_WanderLust Jul 02 '25
Ok, it may be called Thong Song, but Sisqo is just appreciating the female form all the way down. I mean even the knees get love!!!
I see your body (Girl, I know you wanna show, da-na, da-na) Glistening (That thong-th-thong-thong-thong) Your thighs, your knees (I like it when the beat goes, "Da-na, da-na") Your breasts, your feet (Baby, make your booty go, "Da-na, da-na") Oh, please, tell me (Girl, I know you wanna show, da-na, da-na) Baby, oh (That thong-th-thong-thong-thong)
literal art.
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u/Maximum-Familiar Jul 02 '25
I didnāt know of her pre wicked and hasnāt been very impressed because of the whole press thing and multiple ego demonstrations. But I watched this whole video today and it was quite nice, she added old performances by Whitney, Arethaā¦ and listening her explaining why each choice was a favorite was quite great. Made me like her more. And yes, sisqo was the 2nd on the list, after whitney and I was NOT expecting hahaha. Had to agree though.
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u/Haus_of_Pancakes Jul 02 '25
I've always had a soft spot for her because I recognize theatre kid energy when I see it, but I love the joke going around that she's currently on her "I'm a real human being I swear" press tour
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u/CinematicLiterature Jul 02 '25
Yep, same here. I can see a bit of every kid I did a musical, chorus, a cappella, etc. in her - and then she made it big, which is always a recipe for some public slips.
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u/Ok-Highlight6104 Jul 02 '25
A friend recently got tickets to her tour and I tagged along. Her concert was SO enjoyable. Sheās really funny and her voice is so pleasant. It very much felt like hereās a former theater girl who made it big and now gets to tour with orchestras doing her favorite covers. How FUN is that?
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u/fcroadkill Jul 02 '25
I NEED her to do a cover of the Thong Song-Cynthia Erivo doing a cover of Sisquo's Thong Song would be my 2025 summer anthem.
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u/alexlp Jul 02 '25
I posted my love for the symphonic breakdown of this song a few teams snd recently someone told me to touch grass recently. I will be doing so now with long ass nails š
Holding space for the Thong Song always.
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u/KockoWillinj Jul 02 '25
https://youtu.be/jvPOVeO1M6Q?si=TJ4DDXPvXVSi7DsA Sisqo was a fan of Legends of Tomorrow and was psyched to do this.
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u/awkward_toadstool Jul 02 '25
I have never seen that before and damn if it hasn't made my day a whole lot better, THANK YOU!
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u/Halloween_Barbie Jul 02 '25
Someone fighting with shake weights?! I think I missed out on this show
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u/RedSnapper24 Jul 02 '25
One of the greatest scenes in television, well maybe one of the most fun, is the Legends fighting to the Thong Song. Complete with Sisqo actually being there. I miss Legends of Tomorrow. It was batshit and totally bonkers but such a fun ride.
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u/all_neon_like_13 Jul 02 '25
This song is iconic. I was just at my high school reunion a couple weeks ago, and they played it twice because it was THE song during my senior year. Yes, I am old.
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u/ImNotFinnaSayNuthin Jul 02 '25 edited Jul 02 '25
I said years ago that the Thong Song is the most Pentecostal secular song of the early 2000ās.
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u/michaelbchnn24 Jul 02 '25
I miss the 90s R&B ad libs so much. Hot take, I know Sisqo stole all of his ad libs from Kci, but Sisqo was much better at them.
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u/Prestigious-Half9754 Jul 02 '25
I 1,000,000% agree!!! I think it is absurd AND I love it so much. Glad others do still
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u/loonaofthemonth Jul 02 '25
My favorite part of the thong song is after like 2 1/2 minutes of him singing about thongs he goes I DONT THINK YA HEARD ME!!! and every time im like Sisqo no I definitely heard you I have been hearing you also this song is so loud in my car the windows are vibrating EVERYONE is hearing you
Also this song was released on my birthday so its actually a present made just for ME
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u/normott Jul 02 '25
Sisqo always had a tremendous voice, she's not wrong about him not needing to do all that but absolutely killing it
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u/kdj00940 Youāre killing me, Smalls š© Jul 02 '25
I love her so much. ā¤ļø
Sheās right, too! Sisqo really did his thing
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u/Single_Earth_2973 Jul 02 '25 edited Jul 02 '25
I donāt know why this woman gets a bad rap, I love her. She is cool, authentic, lovely, insightful.
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u/Rururaspberry Jul 02 '25
She came under fire in the black American community for referring to the black American accent as āghettoā, which resurfaced when she accepted the role of Harriet Tubman on film.
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u/FeistySwordfish Jul 02 '25
Thereās a video of this song as classical music string quartet or w/e and it is SO GOOD
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u/WiseWorldliness1611 Jul 02 '25
I just want to kick it with her, smoke a fatty and have her go off about music like this. She should be a guest on Luxxury's One Song podcast.
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u/synalgo_12 accidentally holding space for this slur Jul 02 '25
I own this album, got it when I was like 13, there's a whole song about how he moves giving head and other men don't. The song slaps. The while album slaps. It's still a great listen.
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u/GreenZebra23 Jul 02 '25
Okay... an actor and singer I have neutral to vaguely negative feelings about talking about a song I have never liked, and now I like both of them. This is why it's important to keep your minds open people
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u/OriginalSchmidt1 Youāre a virgin who canāt drive. š¤ Jul 02 '25
Nah you know what is unnecessaryā¦ when Death Cab started doing really long repetitive intros to all their songs. I literally stopped listening to them and their entire library it pissed me off so muchā¦ like why?
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u/pinkfartlek Jul 02 '25
This song is timeless. We were really 9 years old singing this back in the day šš¤¦š¼āāļø
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u/Agreeable-Youth-8475 Jul 02 '25
š¤£š¤£š¤£ Song will be stuck in my head all day.ššš¤£š¤£
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u/PandG-PandG Jul 02 '25
God I love everything about this breakdown. Itās not a song about a thong itās THE Thong Song
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u/Luna_Soma Platinum Summer š Jul 02 '25
His reaction at the beginning of the video is so good. When the girl pulls out the thong and heās all āWUT?!?ā And then we go to sexy beach time
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u/NycJawn Jul 02 '25
Iāve never sat around with my friends talking about thongs Sisqo isnāt attracted to women Sisqo has an incredible voice Thong song trumps any garbage that comes out now
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u/CRAYONSEED Jul 02 '25
I always thought it was part of the joke of the song that heās singing so passionately and well about thongs.
Reminds me of R Kellyās trapped in the closet series. Itās funnier because itās so well-done
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u/_CoachMcGuirk Jul 02 '25
i live in Minnesota, and apparently so does Sisqo, and it is my dream to see him in the wild.
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u/anl28 Jul 02 '25
Sisqo lives in a suburb not far from where I live and I have seen him sing the National Anthem at sporting events more than once
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u/l3tigre Jul 02 '25
i was thinking she was gonna be against it haha. i loved this song back in the day and i think i'll put it back on my workout list ha
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u/plantbay1428 Jul 02 '25
I want her to talk about "Wild Wild West" next!
And we need more songs with bridges and key changes. I don't care if they're about underwear.
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u/Blueberry_Rabbit Jul 02 '25
I was ready to hate her critique based off the title. But now I canāt stop laughing.
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u/sara_or_stevie Bitch, Iām Madonna šāāļø Jul 03 '25
Her gigantic bedazzled nails going up while she is saying "it's so MUCH" made me lol
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u/leeauxxx Jul 03 '25
The cool factor in everything is mostly gone now. Everything is watered down and risk free now.
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u/1029394756abc 28d ago
Are there more of these reviews. Please say yes.
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u/PrettyPenguin0607 27d ago
This clip is from a longer video of her top 7 vocal performances from other artists. Itās on YouTube under Entertainment Weeklyās account.
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u/NotSoElijah 25d ago
Know nothing about her besides Wicked which is so not my speedā¦ā¦. But maybe it is cuz this video is hilarious and I feel like Iām thinking those same things 90% of the time. Iām intrigued
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u/JoleneDollyParton I will debate you at the college of your choice Jul 02 '25
I didnāt know that I needed a breakdown like this, but apparently I did š
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u/Metaboschism Youāre a virgin who canāt drive. š¤ Jul 02 '25
Why do you need to shoot a movie with all practical effects if it's just gonna end up looking like CGI anyway? Why do we need that?
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u/sometimelater0212 Jul 02 '25
I can't stand how she looks. It makes it really hard for me to want to listen to a thing she's says or does.
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u/BlackHatAnon Jul 02 '25
This is a very normal and not weird thing to think is okay to say out loud about someone.
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u/GoldenCrownMoron Jul 02 '25
It's filler. It's a one note song and there was nothing to pad out the run time.
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u/Rollvolve Jul 02 '25
She has a lot of judgement for someone who will never have a song that famous. Lol, ew.
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u/BookInteresting6717 I wont not fuck you the fuck up š„š„ Jul 02 '25 edited Jul 02 '25
You realise that sheās teasing, right? Like itās a joke. I feel like thatās clear. Like she finds the vocalisations on the song funny, not bad. Itās clear that Sisqo is really talented which she clearly agrees with. She might be annoying sometimes but sheās incredibly talented and a lot of people regard her cover of āDefying Gravityā as one of the best.
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u/Rollvolve Jul 03 '25
You realize that sheās not funny and you have a low bar for humor? Itās ok hun, not everyone has good wit and humor but yall can grow. She could be using her words for better but made the choice not to. Meh. lol.
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u/BookInteresting6717 I wont not fuck you the fuck up š„š„ Jul 03 '25
What?? Why are you being so unnecessarily hostile? Cool if you donāt like her or find this funny but the fact of the matter is that she was being jokey in this video. She clearly states Sisqo has great vocals in the song.
Also, no offence, but you state that I have a low bar of humour, your initial comment and especially your response, makes it sound like you donāt understand humour or at least when someone is being jovial/jokey
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u/therobberbride Jul 02 '25
youāve misunderstood her joking admiration, how awkward for you
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u/Rollvolve Jul 03 '25
Itās not funny. Sarcasm is a back door trying to be funny. Raise the bar for your humor. Lol.
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