Lizzo is taking aim at Sydney Sweeney's controversial American Eagle jeans commercial in a fiery new song. On Wednesday, the four-time Grammy Award-winner unleashed two tantalizing snippets from her upcoming track on social media, directly mentioning Sweeney and cleverly referencing the viral advertisement that sparked outrage.
In one captivating video snippet for “I’m Goin’ In Till October,” Lizzo, clad in torn denim and hose-washing a sleek Porsche, raps with defiance, “No kizzy, he ain’t got no business being with me. Fat ass, pretty face, with the titties to die for. Bitch, I got good jeans just like Sydney.” (Or perhaps she meant to say “genes”? The pun is too juicy to resist.)
The second video opens with a clip of a cable news pundit gleefully ranting about the Sweeney ad, proclaiming, “We’ve had enough of this woke nonsense. We’re done with the Lizzos, we’re done with the Dylan Mulvaneys. If it were a 300-pound non-binary person, they’d be cheering them on.” The scene then seamlessly transitions to Lizzo lounging in head-to-toe denim, echoing Sweeney’s pose in the controversial ad. With a playful flair, Lizzo captioned the video, “Lizzo’s got good jeans, y'all.”
This messaging could be interpreted as a bold rebuttal to the Sweeney ad. However, it could also serve as a boon for American Eagle’s campaign. In a statement addressing the controversy last week, the company emphasized the ad’s inclusive intent. Lizzo’s adoption of the “great jeans” tagline for herself could be seen as endorsement of the campaign’s message. As the company stated, “We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, in their own unique way. Great jeans look good on everyone, regardless of shape, size, or identity.”
The Sweeney campaign has undeniably become one of the most polarizing and talked-about marketing efforts in recent memory, rivaling the cultural uproar surrounding trans activist Dylan Mulvaney’s endorsement deal with Bud Light in 2023. While Mulvaney’s partnership was a viral influencer gig, Sweeney’s is a high-profile ad campaign. Furthermore, Bud Light’s sales tanked in the wake of the Mulvaney ad, whereas the impact on American Eagle’s sales remains uncertain. Sweeney’s recent brand collaborations also include Armani Beauty, Miu Miu, Laneige, HeyDude, Bai, Baskin Robbins, and Ford.
Lizzo’s song follows the recent revelation that Trump swooned over Sweeney after learning she registered as a Republican in Florida last year. earlier this week, he gushed to reporters, “Now I love her ad! … If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.”
At the heart of the controversy lies a clip of Sweeney stating, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.” This innocent-seeming line ignited a firestorm online, with critics accusing the ad of promoting white supremacy through a subtle dog whistle.
Sweeney has remained silent amidst the uproar. She will next star in the crime thriller “Americana,” set for release this month, and in December’s highly anticipated adaptation of Freida McFadden’s bestseller, “The Housemaid.”
