Girls Want Girls (with Lil Baby)

"Girls Want Girls" explores themes of male desire, attraction, and the fetishization of lesbianism from a heterosexual male perspective. The song's central premise, encapsulated in the provocative lyric "Say that you a lesbian, girl, me too," is Drake's attempt to find common ground with a woman who is attracted to other women. This line has been widely interpreted as a clumsy and tone-deaf pickup line, where Drake equates his sexual interest in women with her identity as a lesbian. Critics have pointed out that this comparison undermines and trivializes the identity of queer women, reducing it to a mere sexual preference that a man can share.

The narrative extends to Lil Baby's verse, where he describes a relationship with a woman who also has a girlfriend, suggesting a threesome. This reinforces the song's theme of viewing lesbian relationships through a lens of male fantasy and sexual gratification. The song has been heavily criticized for its fetishistic portrayal of women-loving-women (WLW) relationships, continuing a problematic trend in media where female queerness is sexualized for the male gaze. Some interpretations suggest the song is a commentary on toxic masculinity, aligning with Drake's description of the album "Certified Lover Boy" as an exploration of that very theme. In this view, the cringeworthy lyrics are a deliberate portrayal of a flawed, pushy persona. However, the dominant reception has been one of criticism for being confusing, immature, and offensive to the LGBTQ+ community.

The song's narrative centers on Drake's interaction with a woman he is attracted to. The central theme unfolds as he learns she is a lesbian. Instead of accepting this, Drake playfully and controversially equates his own attraction to women with her sexual orientation, delivering the line, "Yeah, say that you a lesbian, girl, me too." This line forms the crux of the song's hook and its subsequent discourse. Throughout his verse, Drake expresses a strong desire to be with this woman, mentioning her see-through dress and the deep conversations they've had. He suggests a shared interest in women as a point of connection, blurring the lines between his heterosexual desire and her homosexual identity. The repeated phrase "Girls want girls where I'm from" reinforces this theme, suggesting a trend or a commonality in his social sphere.

Lil Baby's verse extends this narrative from a similar perspective. He boasts about his lifestyle and his own relationship dynamics, which involve his girlfriend also having a girlfriend. His lyrics depict a hedonistic scenario, inviting both women to join him, referencing threesomes and a luxurious, party-filled life. He talks about buying them matching items and facilitating their lavish lifestyle, positioning himself as the orchestrator of this polyamorous-seeming arrangement. His verse doubles down on the theme of men finding a common, albeit self-serving, ground with women who are attracted to other women. He frames it as a shared interest, rapping, "Say you go that way, I guess we both go the same way."

The song oscillates between Drake's smooth, melodic delivery on the chorus and the more direct, rap-focused verses from both artists. The overall atmosphere is one of late-night contemplation and seduction, set against a backdrop of club life and affluent experiences. The emotional tone is a mix of confident swagger and a form of toxic masculinity, where the artists attempt to navigate and co-opt the woman's sexuality for their own fantasy. The recurring question "I don't know, I might come, I might go" injects a sense of ambiguity and emotional detachment, typical of Drake's introspective style, yet it clashes with the confident and pushy nature of the song's primary message.

"Girls Want Girls" was released on September 3, 2021, as the third track on Drake's sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy. The song features a collaboration with American rapper Lil Baby, marking their fifth joint project. The production was handled by Swiss producer Oz and German producer Ambezza. According to Ambezza, the creation process involved him creating loops and sending them to Oz. Oz later contacted him, indicating they had a major placement and to hold the sample, which eventually became "Girls Want Girls" on Drake's highly anticipated album. The song also features production contributions from Noah "40" Shebib. The track contains interpolations from Drake's own 2020 song "Time Flies". It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on September 28, 2021, as the album's second official single.

"Girls Want Girls" employs a relatively straightforward rhythmic structure with a 4/4 time signature and a relaxed tempo of approximately 87 BPM. The rhythm is driven by a characteristic trap beat, featuring programmed drum machine sounds like skittering hi-hats and a deep, resonant 808 bass. The overall feel is downtempo and melodic, allowing the vocal performances to be the central focus. Drake's vocal delivery is a mix of singing and rapping, creating a smooth, conversational flow that often glides over the beat rather than adhering to a rigid cadence. The rhyme scheme is generally simple and direct, often using couplets and internal rhymes to maintain momentum. For instance, in the hook, "Starin' at your dress 'cause it's see-through / Yeah, talkin' all the shit that you done been through / Yeah, say that you a lesbian, girl, me too," Drake uses a consistent end rhyme. Lil Baby's verse introduces a slightly faster, more rhythmically complex flow that contrasts with Drake's smoother delivery. The interplay between the mellow, atmospheric beat and the artists' vocal rhythms creates the song's signature "infectiously moody" quality.

Musically, "Girls Want Girls" is a downtempo, melodic track blending R&B and trap genres. The production, handled by Oz and Ambezza, features a moody, nocturnal atmosphere built on synthesizers, a prominent 808 bassline, and distinctive hi-hat patterns. The song is composed in the key of G Minor with a tempo of around 87 BPM, contributing to its laid-back, chill vibe. Drake employs his signature melodic rap style, blurring the lines between singing and rapping, which creates a smooth, stream-of-consciousness flow. This delivery is described as having "nocturnal and soulful" production, a classic formula for Drake. Lil Baby's feature provides a contrast with a more energetic and "frenzied delivery." Lyrically, the song uses direct address and a narrative conversational tone. The most notable literary device is the controversial simile/metaphor in the hook, "say that you a lesbian, girl, me too," which, while heavily criticized, is the song's central lyrical hook. The track also contains an interpolation of Drake's earlier song, "Time Flies."

"Girls Want Girls" achieved significant commercial success upon its release, debuting at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., as well as reaching number two on the UK and ARIA singles charts. It became one of nine tracks from Certified Lover Boy to debut in the top 10 of the Hot 100. The song also topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. However, its cultural impact is defined more by the controversy it generated than its chart performance. The lyric "Say that you a lesbian, girl, me too" sparked widespread debate and criticism on social media and among music critics. Many accused Drake of fetishizing lesbianism and bisexuality, calling the line "god-awful" and immature. The song was cited as a prime example of the "toxic masculinity" Drake claimed to explore on the album and was even included on Variety's list of the worst songs of 2021. The backlash highlighted a broader cultural conversation about queerbaiting and the misrepresentation of the LGBTQ+ community in mainstream music.

The primary lyrical motif in "Girls Want Girls" that functions as a central, albeit controversial, metaphor is Drake's line, "Say that you a lesbian, girl, me too." This isn't a literal claim but a metaphorical and playful attempt to align his own desires with the woman's sexual orientation. He uses "lesbian" as a synonym for "person who is sexually attracted to women," thereby attempting to create a shared identity to seduce her. This has been widely criticized as a form of queerbaiting and fetishization, where the complexity of a sexual identity is flattened into a simple preference for the benefit of a heterosexual man. The song's title itself, "Girls Want Girls," is presented as a straightforward observation but is used within the song's context to justify the male artists' interest and involvement in these dynamics, symbolizing a co-opting of female queer desire for male fantasy. Lil Baby's verse about his girlfriend having a girlfriend further symbolizes this, portraying the lesbian relationship as an accessory to his own hedonistic lifestyle.

The most significant recurring phrase in the song is the hook, "Yeah, say that you a lesbian, girl, me too," which is repeated throughout to serve as the song's central and most memorable line. This phrase incapsulates the track's controversial theme of a heterosexual man trying to align himself with a lesbian woman's sexuality. The titular phrase, "Girls want girls where I'm from," also recurs, acting as a motif that attempts to normalize the song's premise and frame it as a common social phenomenon in the artists' world. This repetition drills the core concept into the listener's mind, making it both catchy and, for many, grating. Another recurring idea is the invitation for a woman to bring her girlfriend along, explicitly stated by Drake ("Please bring your girlfriend along with you") and implied throughout Lil Baby's verse. This motif reinforces the theme of fetishization and the male desire for a threesome. Finally, the introspective and noncommittal line, "I don't know, I might come, I might go," appears multiple times, representing a classic Drake motif of emotional ambiguity and indecisiveness.