Jessi is the latest guest to appear on Bam House, a casual interview hosted by GOT7‘s BamBam. They discussed a variety of topics including the former’s experience with songwriting.
Jessi (Left) and BamBam (Right)
One thing BamBam was curious about was her lack of swear words in her songs especially given her reputation as someone who lacks a filter. This was seen in her iconic track “NUNU NANA” when she replaced the word “f*ck” with “what.”
Why did you put ‘give a what’? You can just say “give a f*ck” like your style.
— BamBam
Your browser does not support video.
Jessi agreed that it was a very real possibility to have the lyrics this way; however, the higher ups in her company voted against it. She ended up adhering to the censorship that they imposed on her since she was outnumbered.
Yeah, it’s supposed to be that but it didn’t pass the deliberating council.
— BamBam
Your browser does not support video.
Her recent hit song, “ZOOM,” suffered this fate as well. The executives did not allow the swear word to make it into the chorus.
Oh, then there’s no choice. That’s why there’s ‘what’ in my songs. Or in ZOOM, ‘I don’t give uh, cuz I’m bad.’
— Jessi
Your browser does not support video.
The music video also blurred out her pose pointing her middle finger upwards, censoring her even further.
BamBam commiserated with Jessi, saying that she likely did not enjoy feeling constricted lyrics-wise especially considering her free nature.
Aw~ you must feel a little bit bad for not being able to say that.
— BamBam
She agreed, pointing out that the music industry is lenient in some ways but strict in others. Not allowing the swear word to make it into her songs was most likely to ensure it was marketable to the masses. This helped make “NUNU NANA” and “ZOOM” playable in public settings and radios, further increasing their popularity.
In music, we can express many things but swear words can’t pass through the deliberation.
— Jessi
Check out the full video below to learn more about Jessi.
