"Hotline Bling:" Been There, Done That

Ahhh, Drake's "Hotline Bling." It's been all over the internet lately due to Drake's awkward dad dancing and the simplicity of the music video. People either love it or they hate it, and I've heard some pretty harsh critiques of the content of the song lyrics. Are you familiar with the premise of the song? It's what happens when Drake appears to no longer be either involved with or in the same city as a ladyfriend. Said ladyfriend goes off and lives her life however she wants. Drake complains and sounds overly affected by the situation, as he is wont to do. 

Cue people being mad at this ladyfriend. How dare she go off and hang out with women Drake's never seen before! She starts wearing less and going out more, carrying glasses of bubbly out on the dance floor. Because heaven forbid this woman, who clearly is not dealing with Drake at the moment, wear what she wants and drink what she desires while getting her groove on. We could REALLY get into it about how anti-feminist it is to be annoyed at this lady for wearing less and such. 

I have heard people say that Drake is whiny in this song. Some women I know think he needs to man up and stop crying so much over these women. I have heard people say that the lady he's singing about is being a skank for her actions. Here's the thing:

                                            I have been this girl and I know these feelings.

Give me a funky breakup and heavens yes, you'll see me doing things you ain't never seen before. Mostly because you didn't want to do those things with me in the first place while you were in a relationship with me. I might wear a little less because I feel like impressing MYSELF while on a dance floor, and I might call up my favorite lady boos to get our freak on... without any intention of actively attracting a man. And why should you care what's in my glass, anyway?

Give me a long-distance relationship to feel left out. I did that once. He left to go off to medical school and I told myself I could make it work. I've learned I'm really proficient at telling myself that I can be the one to make it work out after all, you know - the one that a partner would change for/stay with/love forever/etc. He left to Michigan for med school and I didn't know who he was bending over backwards for or what cute coffeeshop barista had his drink order memorized that week. The lack of "I miss yous" and "I love yous" really had me stressed out. I went up to visit for a few days. I came back feeling no better about the situation and let it continue for another several months before I started trying to actively be my own person again. Glasses of whiskey out on the dance floor. Dancing with some new friends he'd never met. 

I'm historically famously bad at breakups. All my friends and family can attest to this. I try to stay friends with an ex and the next thing I know I'm dating them again. It's a bad habit and it's ending now. Especially with this last go around - my ex and I are on totally fine terms (sometimes things just don't work out),  but I've decided that I'm either going to have a true partner in crime who supports me and my endeavors, or I'm going to go on being my bad self, delete your number, and not call you on your cell phone late at night because I do not need your half-love. 

                                                              "You used to, you used to."

We used to be something and now we're not. No one did anything wrong. And now it's time to move on, Drake. Let that lady do her own thing and go back to focusing on getting that paper.