A new song by hip-hop star Cee Lo Green is making its way around the Internet, largely based on the shock value of the song’s title, “F**K YOU,” and its generous use of the obscenity in the lyrics.
The song, which clocks in at 3:46, offers 16 instances of the “f-word” – that’s once every 14 seconds. The singer directs the curses toward his former girlfriend and her new beau. “I see you drivin’ ’round town with the girl I love, and I’m like, ‘f**k you,” Cee Lo sings at the start of the upbeat, catchy tune.
The song also features 10 uses of s**t, two of a**, and two partial uses of the n-word.
A video posted on YouTube Aug. 19 from the CeeLoGreen account displays the lyrics in rhythm with the tune. It gathered steam over the weekend, propelling it to over 1.4 million views as of the afternoon of Aug. 23. The video’s information promises a full version “next week.”
Sometime on Monday, Aug. 23, YouTube began requiring visitors to sign in to view the video, noting it “may contain content that is inappropriate for some users.” But the embedded version is available for unrestricted viewing on numerous websites, including Cee Lo’s personal website and hisMySpace page. Clicking on his Myspace page automatically activated the song.
Cee Lo, a.k.a. Thomas DeCarlo Callaway, is a member of the popular duo Gnarls Barkley, known for the similarly catchy (but much cleaner) 2006 hit “Crazy.” The online release of “F**K YOU” is a promotion for his upcoming solo album “The Ladykiller.”
This isn’t the first time pop singers have tried to use provocative lyrics to get attention. That’s been the story of popular music from the Rolling Stones’ “Some Girls” to Britney Spears’ “If U Seek Amy.”
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