“Go to the gym, get skinny” – with these lines, rapper Shirin David has been at the top of the charts for weeks – and the lyrics have sparked controversy. The song is now likely to become even more popular.
When it comes to number one hits, rapper Shirin David knows a lot about it – no solo singer has ever had more songs reach number one than her. But that’s not all, because now the 29-year-old can also claim the summer hit of 2024, as GfK Entertainment, the investigator of the Official German Charts in Baden-Baden, announced. According to the report, the song “Bauch Beine Po” has been leading the singles charts for four weeks.
After “Mädchen auf dem Pferd” (Luca-Dante Spadafora, Niklas Dee, Octavian) and “Layla” (DJ Robin & Schürze), it is already the third German-language summer hit in a row.
However, apart from the 2024 summer hit, rapper David can still achieve much more success.
One record after another for Shirin David
According to Gfk Entertainment, the 29-year-old achieved the first German-language summer hit by a female act with the track “Bauch Beine Po”, which was released at the end of July. The song landed straight at the top of the charts and gave Shirin David her seventh number one hit – and that means another record, because according to GfK, no other female solo act has achieved that before her.
But the rapper is not only at the top of the charts in Germany: In Austria (Austria Top 40) “Bauch Beine Po” also landed at the top; it also reached third place in Switzerland (Official Swiss Hit Parade). In total, the song has been streamed over 30 million times in all three countries.
“If you’re a hottie, they’ll watch”
It’s no wonder that the track is so successful, because according to GfK, the “most important criteria that make a real summer hit” are contained in “Bauch Beine Po”, such as “a text that you can easily sing along to, a catchy melody that spreads good cheer and a rhythm that invites you to dance”.
But the viral effect also plays a big role in turning a summer song into a summer hit, as was reported. Countless fans, as well as acts like the band Culcha Candela, imitated the choreography of the song on Tiktok, thus helping the title to become even more well-known.
However, the title is controversial. Opinions differ as to whether this is about the unbroken glorification of a trained, slim body – or clever irony. A few lines from the song: “You want a body? Then you have to push! If you’re a hottie, they’ll look. Go to the gym, get skinny, make a show of it. We’re pretty in bikinis. That’s stomach, legs, butt.”
Irony or body cult?
The song also includes sentences like “I’m out of the office, don’t call me. This is clean-girl aesthetic, beauty program.” Also: “I’m smart, but blonde and super mega hot.” Many people feel that the lyrics and the lascivious video clip lack the double dimension. And accompanying events could indicate that David is really concerned with slimness and fitness.
Shirin David posted an “Iced Matcha Latte Recipe” and, together with a fitness studio chain, organized an abs, legs and bum class for selected people – slim, flexible fans, judging by the pictures. However, she became known as a YouTuber and is a professional in self-promotion. She easily manages to be a border crosser who on the one hand follows beauty trends and on the other celebrates self-empowerment.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
