May 29, 2020. Writer: Emma Kopelowicz

In 2019, the Hot Girl Summer movement was all over Instagram. While some people grew tired of all the bikini photoshoot influencer posts, we can all look back now with a sense of bittersweet longing for those much simpler times. Providing us the ultimate soundtrack to summer 2019, Meghan Thee Stallion had released “Hot Girl Summer” as an ode to the viral trend. Based on title alone, blackbear’s “Hot Girl Bummer” sounds more fitting for the age of social distancing but if you listen closely, you’ll find that there’s a whole different story playing out.

As a matter of fact, this song was not written and recorded to diss Thee Stallion, and blackbear actually mentioned in an interview with Genius that he was hoping the rapper would be willing to “get on the remix.” “Hot Girl Bummer” is a sarcastic and surly take on his own lifestyle choices and the influencer culture surrounding him. “This that hot girl bummer anthem/Turn it up and throw a tantrum,” blackbear sardonically spits.

The rapper and singer pokes fun at all the people who live a little recklessly and without care––including himself. He raps about the kinds of people who throw up in their Birkin bags after getting a little too wild at the club. He even admits spending “10K” on a table “just so we can be secluded,” flexing his wealth and feeding his ego. On this track, blackbear is willing to hold a mirror up to himself and show the world that even a successful, wealthy musician like him seeks validation and aims to be considered the cool guy. Whether or not we’re willing to admit it, we can completely see where blackbear is coming from. Turns out, blackbear’s self-reflective manifesto also happens to be highly danceable so don’t mind us while we stomp and bounce along from home!

Loving this track? Hit us up on social media: @popbulb. Feel free to connect with our writer as well: @emkopel!