“Baby grind on me, relax your mind, and take your time on me. Let me get deeper baby,” are lyrics derived from the R&B group Pretty Ricky hit single song titled “Grind on me.” These lyrics show explicit connection to the erotic imitation of sexual intercourse throughout the duration of the song.
The foundation of many R&B songs have sprung from the appreciation and beauty of women, love and care, but as for today’s R&B, it has taken a different direction. While many artist song lyrics may be overlooked, the beat is what causes people to dance to the rhythm without even having knowledge of what the lyrics say.
“Grinding,” also known as “Freak dancing,” is an inappropriate style of dancing that has been exposed throughout music lyrics that are teaching today’s generation about practicing sexual intercourse. The bodily motions of two or more dancers rubbing their bodies against each other in the form of sexual acts has today become the new foundation of dancing.
“That’s just nasty. I walk up in the club, first thing I see, a girl shaking her a** on a guy acting like they having dry sex on the dance floor. Ain’t nobody got time for that, oh no!” said Veronica Griffin, a recent Chaminade graduate who loves to dance and go clubbing.
One of the precursors of “Grinding,” was known as the “slow dance,” with roots reigning back to ballroom dancing as an incorporated partner style of dancing. This style of dancing included each dancer to hold their partner on the waist, shoulder and even hands as the couple would swing back and forth to the slow melody of the song. Overtime, I feel slow dance has been seen as a dance for youth to categorize innocence and social awkwardness to those who are not sexually active, or were taught not to be.
“What ever happened to slow dancing? Like really? It was a way better form of dancing than what we have now. I cannot go to a party, club, or just dancing without some guy trying to grind all up on me. So uncomfortable, and there’s nothing classy about it,” Griffin said.
As the songs beat causes many to dance, the lyrics have an influence on the type of dance style you will choose. I believe “grinding,” is becoming an influential style of dance in today’s new generation, also causing many songs about sexual intercourse to now be labeled into their own genre. This genre is referred to as “Grind songs, sex songs, or baby makers.” While all these genres lead to sex, its sending the youth of today the wrong message and that’s, that sex should be experienced young in age.
“Let me take you down, I really want to take you down,” lyrics derived from artist Chris Brown’s song “Take you down” show a clear example of how today’s R&B lyrics all lead to sex which causes listeners and dancers to act in those regards.
Taking it a step further; each year, theres a new dance with a new perception for people to view it as. Last years hit takeover was considered, “twerking,” the circular upward and downward motion of a woman moving her buttocks around. This years takeover has been the “yike,” famous seen and expressed in Sage the Gemini’s two hit singles, “Gas pedal, and Red nose.” While these dance styles change by the second, the generations adapt to their downgrading nature without fully even analyzing the lyrics to the songs.
“Sex sales; as bad as I don’t want to say that, it’s the truth,” said Jess Willard, artists/song writer of the Southern California rap and R&B ensemble “Overdoz.” “It’s also very sad, but at the same time, we all have a choice to choose rather we want to dance that way or not.”
