"Do It Like a Dude"

Our culture’s opinion of what is “normal” for each gender is being shaped each and every day. People have very different ideas of how men and women are supposed to act; however, there are general concepts that a lot of people believe. Society has different ways of expressing these concepts, but music is definitely one of the most common ways of expression. There are many songs that satirize gender norms, point out gender restrictions, and focus on cultural concepts of gender. One song that strongly highlights typical male behavior and attempts to close the gender gap is “Do It Like a Dude” by Jessie J.

Jessica Ellen Cornish, also known as Jessie J, was born in London on March 27th 1988. She was brought up in London, and struck a songwriting deal with Gut Records before they went bankrupt. She then began writing for Sony Music Publishing where she wrote for artists like Miley Cyrus and Chris Brown. After signing with Sony, Jessie J released her debut single, “Do It Like a Dude.” Soon after, she released her first full album, “Who You Are.” She received a lot of attention in the UK but did not get a lot of international attention until her song “Domino” hit the charts. Now, most of her songs have become very popular in the United States. 

“Do It Like a Dude” was released on November 18th, 2010. Jessie J co-wrote the song with George Astasio, Jason Pebworth, Jon Shave, Kyle Abrahams and Parker Ighile. The song reached number two on the charts in UK, eight in New Zealand and Belgium, and eleven in Ireland. It also received the best song award at the Music of Black Origin Awards in 2011. Although this was not her biggest song in America at first, the song has become more popular with Jessie J’s increased fame. “Do It Like a Dude” is classified as a pop, or pop-rock song. It is played at the tempo of 140 beats per minute, is in D minor, and features hip hop beats and rock sounding riffs. The musical aspects of the song factor into why the song became so renowned.

“Do It Like a Dude” is a song in which Jessie J sings about being able to do the same things guys can do. The song begins with men chanting over a background of strong hip hop beats. When she begins singing, it is very edgy and heavy. She begins by singing, 

“Stomp stomp I’ve arrived, drop the beat nasty face why ya lookin’ at me?”

These first lyrics are very important to the message Jessie J is trying to get across. These lines show her listeners what she thinks a typical guy is like. The beginning is forceful, which suggests that most males are forceful and strong. The line “why ya lookin' at me?” makes Jessie J seem defensive and closed off. Again, this alludes to her opinion that most guys are generally defensive and not very open about things. Jessie J continues to generalize men’s clothing and actions in the chorus. She sings, 

“I can do it like a brother, do it like a dude   

Grab my crotch, wear my hat low like you." 

In the second verse Jessie J sings,

“Boom, boom, pour me a beer

No pretty drinks, I'm a guy out here  

Rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin' money like a pimp.”

These three lines say a lot about the stereotypes Jessie J is trying to emphasize. First of all, she points out the stereotype that all guys drink beer, and that they will be judged if they drink anything else. Also, the next line suggests that men are pressured to have a lot of money. “Like a pimp” proposes that if a guy has money, he will receive attention from a lot of women. The lyrics are very important in conveying Jessie J’s message; however, there are other aspects to the production of this song that help conduct the point she is trying to prove.

The music video is another form Jessie J used to reflect cultural concepts of gender. The beginning of the video shows women smoking and getting tattoos. 

These two activities are usually seen as being more masculine. Jessie J is wearing black and gray, and the video’s lighting is very dark.  Black is seen as a more manly color, and women are mostly pressured to wear lighter colors to convey an energetic and bubbly tone. The women in the video have a lot of piercings, and their makeup is smeared down their face. Women typically do not have piercings on their face, and they usually do not let their makeup smear down their face. As the song nears the chorus, a female dance group emerges and they begin a provocative hip hop dance.

Most of the women are wearing snap back hats, loose jeans, and sweatshirts. These are all clothing items that are strongly associated with men, and Jessie J is trying to close gender gaps by having her backup dancers dress like that. During the second chorus, two women break out in a physical fight, showing that guys are stereo typically more violent than women.

Jessie J has said in multiple interviews that “Do It Like a Dude” is about equality and self-confidence. A very important aspect of Jessie J’s personality to consider, is that she is bisexual. She is very vocal about equality of the sexes, and this song is Jessie J proving to men that women can do everything they can do. The lyrics and music video containing harsh dancing, fighting, tattoos and piercings, is Jessie J’s way of saying that women can be as capable and strong as men stereo typically are. “Do It Like a Dude” is a song about truly being yourself without caring about the social expectations of gender.