John Legend & Kelly Clarkson Rewrote "Baby It's Cold Outside" So It's Not Problematic AF
A popular Christmas jam is getting an upgrade to a few creepy-ish lyrics in the post #MeToo era and by two amazing artists. John Legend and Kelly Clarkson's new "Baby It's Cold Outside" lyrics are all about consent.
The 1944 classic Christmas song written by Frank Loesser will see new lyrics from The Voice coaches upon its release this holiday season. If you recall, the popular winter-time track, which actually earned an Academy Award after being featured in the 1949 film Neptune's Daughter, drew disapproval in 2018 and was even banned by some radio stations with listeners pointing out that some of the lyrics subtly condone manipulative and wrong behavior. In the track, a man and woman sing back and forth with one another over whether she should stay over a bit longer, with the man insisting she should stay even though the woman protests.
Loesser's lyrics are as follows:
The neighbors might think (baby, it's bad out there) / Say what's in this drink? (no cabs to be had out there)
Though, some fans of the original tune have argued the line "Say what's in this drink?" does not have the same meaning it meant in the '30s and shouldn't be a problem. One author claimed the woman was actually admitting that she wanted to spend the night.
In December 2018, Loesser's daughter spoke with NBC News on the issue, saying, “Way before #Me Too, I would hear from time to time people call it a date rape song. I would get annoyed because it’s a song my father wrote for him and my mother to sing at parties."
Regardless, Legend and Clarkson are here to take care of the issue, periodT. In speaking to Vanity Fair for his December 2019 cover story, Legend detailed that he and Insecure's Natasha Rothwell rewrote the lyrics that he performs on the new record with Kelly Clarkson.
“What will my friends think...” sings Clarkson.
“I think they should rejoice,” Legend responds.
“...if I have one more drink?” Clarkson asks before Legend answers back, "It’s your body, and your choice."
Seems like Legend and Clarkson made sure there was no room for misinterpretation.
Legend also shared the news of his special Christmas collab on Instagram under a photo of his A Legendary Christmas album cover, which features himself in a Santa Claus hat. Making sure to get ahead of any trolls or haters, Legend jokingly wrote, "If you had a song with @KellyClarkson you'd want to promote your Christmas album in October too! Signed copies of the deluxe edition of #ALegendaryChristmas are available for pre-order now!"
The track is set to appear on an expanded version of Legend’s Christmas album, A Legendary Christmas: The Deluxe Edition. The album, which will also feature a jazzy take on Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas," will be available Nov. 8.
As for Legend and Teigen's Vanity Fair December 2019 issue, that'll hit newsstands Nov. 5.
Yay! That means fans can get the super cute cover featuring a playful Luna and an inquisitive-looking Miles with their fun-loving parents just in time to set it on a decorative holiday table next to John Legend's album.
