When someone says, “Oh, boys will be boys,” I will never not roll my eyes. It’s 2020, and “boys” need to be held accountable. Pop juggernaut Dua Lipa calls out the nonsense with her new song “Boys Will Be Boys,” which surprisingly bookends her sophomore album Future Nostalgia.
It caps a record that is largely about womanhood, sex, and reclaiming identity. To have a song as timely and smartly written as “Boys Will Be Boys” is a special moment. “I’m sure if there’s something that I can’t find the words to say / I know that there will be a man around to save the day / And that was sarcasm, in case you needed it mansplained / I should’ve stuck to ballet,” she sings, switching between breathy whispers and chest voice.
In marching straight up to the head of the snake, she confronts the problems at the root. That’s where we all should start.
Listen to “Boys Will Be Boys” below.