Lilly Singh under fire for Dancehall song remake
Lilly Singh, YouTubeYouTuber and late night television host Lilly Singh is facing backlash from critics on social media after uploading her own take on the classic Dancehall tune “Badman Forward.”
While Singh is a hugely successful YouTuber, the internet star came under scrutiny in fall 2019 for her late night show, ‘A Little Late with Lilly Singh,’ with many critics taking issue for how she continually addressed her race and sexuality.
However, her show isn’t the brunt of their frustrations as of late; the entertainer is now facing backlash over her rendition of a well-loved Dancehall tune.
In a Tweet on April 27, Singh uploaded a remixed version of Ding Dong’s “Badman Forward,” which she changed to focus on women and body positivity.
“A classic dancehall tune!” Singh captioned her video. “‘Badman Forward’ remake, and this time it’s for the ladies. No matter your size, shape, colour, orientation, preferences or style, this one is for you sister. Tag every badgyal you know!”
While her take on the song was intended to shine a positive light on female empowerment, critics across the net aren’t happy with her version of the track — nor her adoption of Patois and Indo-Caribbean culture.
A classic dancehall tune! Badman Forward remake and this time it’s for the ladies.
No matter your size, shape, colour, orientation, preferences or style, this one is for you sister.
Tag every badgyal you know! ❤️ #GirlLove pic.twitter.com/7vJEQAPWfn
— Lilly (@Lilly) April 27, 2020
“Idk whats worse, the try hard accent or the body language,” one user commented. “As an Indo-Caribbean, I cringed so hard watching this s**t.”
Idk whats worse, the try hard accent or the body language ? As an indo-carribean, I cringed so hard watching this shit
— Nirupa ? (@nirupasingh) April 28, 2020
“Can someone remind her that she’s from India and not the West Indies?” another replied.
Can someone remind her that she’s from India and not the West Indies
— NX (@RaindropKpop) April 28, 2020
Commenters on Twitter aren’t the only ones speaking out on the subject, either: Popular YouTuber James Marriott also hit out at Singh, accusing her of cultural appropriation and even noting that she’d produced another comedic rap parody earlier in the week.
“I have a feeling that this one should have probably stayed in the drafts, Lilly!” he joked.
Singh has yet to respond to the backlash spurned from her latest Tweet — and it doesn’t look like critics are letting her off the hook anytime soon, with the video continuing to garner outrage at the time of writing in spite of her seemingly well-meaning intentions.