It's that time of the year again.
No, not time to unpack the Christmas decorations (yet) - time to unpack the problematic lyrics of Academy Award-winning Christmas jingle 'Baby, It's Cold Outside'.
The call-and-response duet, originally penned by Frank Loesser in 1944, has faced growing criticism over the past two decades, with some claiming its lyrics - including what's in this drink?, which is normally sung by a woman - are suggestive of sexual harassment.
The original lyrics also depict a general pressure from the male singer (referred to in the original score as the 'wolf') for the female singer (the 'mouse') to stay the night, despite her repeated suggestions that she "really must go".
But now singers Kelly Clarkson and John Legend have shared an alternative recording of the track, with lyrics reworked to reflect the momentum of the #MeToo movement.
The new recording, which is set to feature on John Legend's first Christmas album later this year, includes more progressive exchanges, such as:
What will my friends think (I think they should rejoice)
If I have one more drink? (It’s your body, and your choice.)
While the annual discourse around the song has left some social media users feeling exhausted (where has the year gone?!), we think it's a Christmas bop!
If you're already getting into the holiday spirit, you might enjoy the PopAsia Christmas Special on SBS On Demand.
