Content Warning: this article contains brief mentions of sexual abuse, suicide and self-harm.
I would like to start off by saying that music speaks to everyone differently; what you think of Mehro’s new song, “Wh*re,” may be different than what I think, and that’s okay. But, this article is about my listening experience of what I thought about this song. I am also not trying to tell you what Mehro meant when he was making this song or what he means this song to be about — this is my take.
1st Listen
The first time I listened to this song, I was driving to school. When I’m driving is how I usually listen to new songs. At first, I wasn’t sure what this song was really trying to tell me, what it was trying to speak to me about, what it meant. I wasn’t sure if I liked it — the message I thought it was telling me made me a little uncomfortable, but sometimes art makes you uncomfortable.
I also believed in Mehro and his storytelling through his music, so I thought I must be missing something. Spoiler alert: I was.
2nd Listen
The second time I listened to this song, it was during an episode of Alone on a Friday Night, which are Mehro’s livestreams. The livestreams are featured on all of his platforms: TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
When Mehro sings, he has this look that I don’t think I can describe perfectly, but it’s like he and the music are one, in a way. You can see that he melts into the lyrics he’s singing and that it’s deeply personal to him. It’s not something I have seen other artists do before every time they sing. The other time I’ve seen something like this is in an MGK music video, where he sings Twin Flame during the Billboard Music Awards.
When he was singing live, I now knew I was missing something in this song. But, I wasn’t sure what, yet.
3Rd Listen & Watch
The third time, I listened to this song was when I watched the music video (use your discretion when watching, and note the above content warnings). The video was posted on November 11, and has an age restriction on it because of the possible suicide and self-harm images are shown.
I understood when I watched it that the video included suicide and self-harm and I understood that the song had a connection to these themes, but again, I wasn’t sure yet how it was connected.
4th Listen
The fourth time I listened to this song, I was again driving, but this time, I was driving home from school. I sang the lyrics to myself, and then I got it – I understood what I think is the connection. I now realized what the lyrics were saying, and then I started tearing up, which wasn’t great for driving, but I wiped my tears and got home before listening again and again.
What Do I think the Music Video is Saying?
Content Warning: mentions of sexual abuse and self-harm.
I listen to the song and think the music video is talking about a young woman who had either been sexually assaulted or been involved with consensual sex and is now being shamed and bullied for it, whether the incident was against her will or not.
The words of others have taken their toll on her and she is taking the only option she sees is feasible. She wanted the pain to end. And whoever the singer is supposed to be, the loving part of herself, a boyfriend, a family member, a higher power, whoever is telling her that she is still worthy and lovable, her being alive here is a miracle — one she shouldn’t take for granted.
What do I think the Song is Saying?
I think there is a difference between what the music video shows and what the song is saying. The music video may be leaning more into sexual assault and self-harm allusions and depictions.
However, when I listen to the lyrics of the song, I think it applies to a lot more people, people with other mental health conditions who just find life tiring — it certainly applies to me and people I know.
There are four lines that struck a chord with me:
The first is the line, “We’ve all been used before/Nobody’s clean.” To me, this was talking about how no one is perfect and a lot of us have been affected by toxic relationships, whether that be friendships, romantic relationships, or toxic family relationships. And some of us might have been the manipulators or the bullies, at one point without realizing it. None of us come without baggage.
The second line is, “You don’t need a miracle/This is a miracle.” To the people who have been manipulated in the past or bullied, usually, I have found they want a miracle to save them. But, to me, this lyric means that you don’t need to ask for a miracle, because you survived and that’s the miracle. You are the miracle – the fact that you’re alive.
The third line is, “You’re driving but you’re lost/You don’t know what you want.” To me, this line is talking about your life and sometimes when you’re “driving” in your life you don’t know who you are and what you want to do, but that’s okay. You cannot know what you want and that’s okay. It may be terrifying, but you’re okay. You’ll be okay.
The fourth line, which is at the beginning of the song is, “They call you a harlot/They call you a wh*re and I don’t mind it.” To me this line is telling the listener no matter what nasty words the bullies throw at you, the right people won’t care what is said about you. They’ll see your character through being friends with you and they won’t listen to what the bully or abuser says about you, because they know it’s not true.
This led me to why I cried when I realized what this song meant. I have been a part of many toxic friendships in the past and have been manipulated and bullied by people whom I should’ve been able to trust, but this song reminded me of what I already knew. The fact that I had survived was a miracle, and my real friends don’t care what my bullies say about me because they know it was not true.
Conclusion
To anyone who has been bullied or manipulated, I want to tell you it’s not your fault and you’re not an idiot for not realizing the manipulation was happening sooner. It’s called manipulation because it’s when someone uses you to get their own way — they don’t want you to realize they are manipulating you so the fact you realized it is, in and of itself, impressive.
You’re all beautiful and you’re all unique in your own ways, so don’t let anyone bully you into being someone you’re not because, trust me, it’s hard to keep up that mask. But, if you already have that mask up, I hope you have the courage to take it off. I know it’s going to be terrifying at first, because you may have no idea who you are. That’s okay — it’s better than pretending to be someone you aren’t and half the fun is trying to figure out who you are. Try new things, figure it out, and it’s okay not to know for sure who you are just yet. As you grow up, you’re going to change. Just don’t try to fit into a box you know you don’t belong in, just because someone says you belong there. You know where you belong — trust that.
Want to hear more of Mehro’s Music?
If you like Mehro’s song “Wh*re,” you may want to support his music. Mehro is an independent artist, and his next album, Dark Corners of Alchemy, comes out on March 3rd. He’s asking anyone who wishes to support him to pre-save it on whatever streaming platform they use. The link to pre-save can be found on any of his social media accounts in his bios. He also has an album out called “SKY ON FIRE,” which features more of his amazing music.