abcdeNO

It seems like the only thing that can rival the popularity of Wordle these days is that “abcdefu” song. If you are drawing a blank, trust me, you have heard it. This is the masterpiece by Gayle where the first six letters and the 21st letter of the alphabet are strung together with an angry emphasis on those last two letters (abcdeFU). If you don’t know what that stands for, she sings “F@#$ You” plenty of times as well. And, just in case you are doubting what you heard, she ends the chorus with “…you can all F@#$ off!” Not as intellectually stimulating as Wordle, right?

Gayle, a 17-year-old teenager, sings “abcdefu.” Credit to her for making a top song but it is not for me.

At least it is catchy. Very catchy. I admit that much. It is also a dream for content creators. In fact, I can’t stop laughing at a TikTok video that uses the song to narrate an interaction between a cat and a toddler. Totally relatable to Beau and my parents’ cat.

But excuse me if I question the content and tact of the song. Have we really become so rude, crude, and uncreative that “abcdefu” is a top 10 song on the Billboard chart? Or maybe I should just shut up. After all, what right does a 35-year-old dad have to critique a song performed by a 17-year-old teenager?

Or perhaps I just proved my own point when I wrote TEENAGER. I get uncomfortable enough with the lyrics in general but I think they sting a little more coming from someone who was born in 2004. I understand that she is directing the song at an ex-boyfriend but shouldn’t we at least wait until someone is an actual adult before glorifying a song that uses the F bomb in such an insulting way?

My 4-year-old daughter knows the song which is an indictment on me as a parent but I wish it didn’t have to be an issue. I just think we can do better.

I have appreciated the creativity of some who have switched out the expletive and anger of the original version to deliver a more positive message but I fear that the original is so ingrained in our minds that the message might be lost. Kudos to Gayle for creating a song that has brought her fame and fortune but “abcdefu” won’t make my annual list of top songs. Don’t Blink.

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