Latest news with #CariFletcher
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fletcher fell in love with a 'Boy,' so why is she so sad about it?
Being bisexual should be celebrated, so why does Fletcher seem so down? Queer singer Cari Fletcher (who performs under her last name, Fletcher) released a new song, "Boy," and announced a new album titled Would You Still Love Me If You Really Knew Me?, set to be released July 18. She's also opened up about falling in love with and being in a relationship with a man. So why does this new era feel more like an apology than a relationship announcement? I'm not bisexual, so I could be wrong. To me, "Boy" doesn't sound like an empowering bi or queer anthem; it sounds like Fletcher feels guilty about her feelings for a man and wants to apologize for them. "I had no choice, I kissed a boy," she sadly sings over even sadder guitars. She seems to be lamenting that she couldn't stop it from happening, and implying that if she did have a choice, she wouldn't have done it. The song evokes sympathy, not celebration. "And it wasn't on your bingo card this year / Well, it wasn't on mine," she adds, even though she's explicitly identified as queer and not a lesbian since at least 2021. That year, when a fan asked her on Instagram if she was lesbian or bi, Fletcher responed, "I would say I identify as queer," and "it's about energy. But I am attracted to strong feminine energy, which just so happens to more likely than not be women." This isn't a JoJo Siwa situation where Fletcher previously identified as a lesbian before falling for a man. Fletcher has always been queer and open that she's attracted to people of all genders. - YouTube What exactly is Fletcher mourning? Is she grieving her loss of community or status? She is still just as queer as she ever was, and in the vast majority of the world, being with a man only raises her status. Of course, there will always be some biphobic members of the queer community, but there aren't as many biphobes are there are bisexuals. Fletcher is far from being alone in being a queer woman attracted to or dating a man. Many other queer singers like Dove Cameron, Demi Lovato, and Miley Cyrus have all proudly declared themselves queer and are currently in committed relationships with men. Those singers' relationships with men didn't evoke the same type of feelings among their queer fans that "Boy" has for Fletcher. But none of them released a whole song and album mournfully declaring that they "had no choice" but to fall for the men they love. Queer singer Kesha just released a song last month titled "Boy Crazy." It's a fun and sexy celebration of her sexuality. There's no hint of sadness that she, as a queer woman, goes crazy for men. And there shouldn't be. In reality, Fletcher's community didn't get smaller. It got bigger. Now, more women can relate to her music than ever before. This is even true among queer women. According to a 2024 Gallup poll, 57 percent of all adults who identify as LGBTQ+ identify as bisexual, versus only 15 percent identifying as lesbians. The Pew Research Center reports that five percent of the overall female population describes themselves as bisexual, versus just two percent describing themselves as lesbians. It also reports that for people of all genders under 30, 11 percent identify as bisexual, versus four percent who identify as gay or lesbian. Some in the lesbian community also see the launch and timing of the song as tone deaf. In the song, Cari sings that she's "hiding out in Northern California / Where nobody knows who I was before / Where they won't judge me in the morning." This sounds like she's been enjoying spending time living a life where no one knew she was into women, where she's seen for who she is now: a woman dating a man. She even deleted all her Instagram posts from before this month, wiping away years of her personal public history of sapphic singing and dykey dancing. To some fans, this sends the message that that was the old Fletcher, and the new Fletcher is all about boys. To some listeners, releasing a song about the fear of being persecuted for being a woman who is in love with a man during Pride month also feels somewhat insulting in a world where attacks on same-sex relationships are growing. This past January, Fletcher might've felt nervous to "come out" about her relationship with a man. Meanwhile, lesbians were rushing to get married and worrying that Donald Trump and other conservative proponents of Project 2025 would soon overturn the Supreme Court case that allows us to marry each other. The problem isn't that Fletcher is in love with a man, or that she's singing about it. Anyone who criticizes Fletcher for "queerbaiting" or says she's "not queer enough" is flat-out wrong and foolish. But why does she have to be so sad about the situation? In an interview with Them, Fletcher said that she was "scared" to come out about her relationship. "I'm cycling through some of the same feelings I felt when I came out 10 years ago of shame and guilt and fear and anxiety and wondering how people are going to react and going to receive me," she said. "For there to be this much fear in a community that I should belong in is a very real feeling that I have. I acknowledge it and I see that that's there." With "Boy," it feels like she's painted herself into a corner with a self-fulfilling prophecy that her fans would be upset she is in love with a man. If she's so sad and scared about it, how can she not expect her fans to be sad and scared as well? The only things her fans know about her relationship is what she is telling them, and she is sending a strong message that being a queer woman who loves a man is a tragedy. By releasing a song that seems to focus on self-pity and fear, it almost feels like Fletcher isn't proud to be herself, and that's not the unapologetic Cari that her fans have come to know and love.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Furious fans call queer pop star Fletcher 'JoJo Siwa 2.0' after she reveals she's dating a 'boy'
Fletcher is facing backlash from her fans after announcing her new album and debuting a song about falling in love with a man after primarily making music about her past queer relationships. The 31-year-old singer - whose full name is Cari Fletcher - rose to fame for her raw break-up anthems about her relationships with other women. However, she recently released a new single called Boy, from her upcoming album Would You Still Love Me If You Really Knew Me? out July 18 where she reveals her latest relationship. While Fletcher says the song reflects a moment of unexpected personal growth, many are upset and claiming she changed her entire image. On social media, listeners called the timing of the song's release during Pride Month 'crazy' and argued she could have waited another month to release the single, where she tells her fans: 'His lips were soft / I had no choice / I kissed a boy.' One user posted a video showcasing the new song and people in the comments were furious. Many people compared Fletcher to JoJo Siwa, 22, who recently shocked her fans when she announced her relationship with former Love Island star Chris Hughes, 32, after previously exclusively dating women and identifying as a lesbian. Commenters wrote, 'It's giving JoJo Siwa,' and said she was 'in her JoJo Siwa era,' with many members of her largely queer audience saying they'd rather she hadn't shared this information during Pride Month. 'She had any other month to release this but doing it during the first week of Pride Month is a grab and a bad one at that,' one angry fan griped of Fletcher's new song. 'I think the issue is timing and delivery… it feels manipulative,' a comment read. The original creator responded: 'I don't care [about] the fact that she's dating a man, I'm happy for her, after making your whole career centered around liking being a lesbian was a phase? In another video, a TikTok content creator discussed the singer's 'rebrand' and how she now signs off as 'Cari,' referring to the letter she posted to her Instagram. Many fans explained they were upset because her discography was based on her past relationships with women. She even went viral for her past relationships, including her song Becky's So Hot about her previous relationship with content creator Shannon Beveridge. Frustrated fans didn't like that her new merch has the word 'boy' written all over it to pay homage to her new single. Despite the pushback, fans on Reddit were quick to jump to her defense, arguing that the singer never said she only dated women. Internet sleuths believe Fletcher is dating Jagwar Twin, or Brandon Roy Wronski, who is allegedly connected to a wellness group, The Modern Mystery School. Miley Cyrus and Shawn Mendes have been linked to the organization in the past, which has previously been referred to as 'cult-like'. Its mission statement reads: 'The Modern Mystery School is in service to all of humanity to assist in the ascension of the human consciousness on this planet. This is a mission the school and its lineage holders have been working towards for over 3,000 years. The statement continues: 'The purpose of the school is to help people achieve their highest spiritual potential in this physical life, while living a life of joy, fulfillment and love.' Fans began to speculate Fletcher was also a member after her name appeared on a list of people who have taken courses with MMS, per Pride. Rumors swirled so heavily that the singer issued a statement in March 2024 denying any involvement. 'I am no longer involved with MMS. I was listed on the website because I took a few introductory classes followed by a one-week course out of curiosity,' she wrote on Twitter. 'Further insight into the organization did not resonate with me in any way. 'I do not support, subscribe or condone any mission or rhetoric that is anti-LGBTQ+ in any form, spiritually, politically or otherwise.'
