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Hip-Hop Lives Here
Australian duo Royel Otis have issued an apology relating to the lyrics of their latest single, “moody.”
The single, which was released on May 9 as the first taste of their new era, was written by the pair (comprising Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic) alongside Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Allen.
However, the track has reportedly attracted criticisms of misogyny, largely due to the chorus line which states, “My girl’s a b–h when she’s moody.” In a press release issued alongside the song, Royel Otis remained relatively tight-lipped, simply noting “It’s a song about a girl,” in keeping with the text featured on the single’s artwork.
In a report from Australian outlet news.com.au, a former school friend of Pavlovic claimed the band were “deleting [social media] comments that call out the lyrics and video, while only replying to the positive ones.” The friend added, “In 2025, it’s disheartening to hear a local Australian artist – someone I know or I knew – casually refer to women as ‘b–hes’ in their lyrics.”
A statement received from the publication by Kay and Hughes Art and Entertainment Lawyers quoted the track’s recent successes while downplaying the lyrical content present within.
“This song is written from a specific perspective, it is not intended to convey a broader view or standpoint about women in general,” Royel Otis said in the statement. “We apologise if anyone understood those lyrics otherwise.”
Royel Otis first formed in 2019, releasing a series of EPs between 2021 and 2023 before issuing their debut album, Pratts & Pain in 2024. Though their “Sofa King” track reached No. 12 on the Alternative Airplay chart in 2023, the band found widespread fame last year following their cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” for Australian radio station triple j’s Like a Version series.
The cover topped the Alternative Airplay charts and also peaked at No. 41 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The group’s penchant for covers was again felt when their SiriusXM session rendition of The Cranberries‘ “Linger” was released, giving them their first appearance on the Hot 100 when it reached No. 94.
In late 2024, Royel Otis won four ARIA Awards from eight nominations, including best group and best rock album, while producer Chris Collins won best produced release and best engineered release for Pratts & Pain.
More recently, the pair performed two sold-out shows at the Troubadour in Los Angeles before announcing an additional run of U.S. dates for September and October as part of their Meet Me in the Car tour.
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Livestreaming has quickly become an essential part of being an artist today. More rappers and singers are either teaming up with well-known streamers or hosting their own multi-hour sessions on personal channels. This past week, Justin Bieber joined in by launching his official Twitch channel and streaming several days in a row.
Between lighter moments of him shooting hoops or chatting with his circle of friends, the streams became most interesting when Bieber stepped into the studio. Whether he was alone in the vocal booth or sitting behind the mixing desk with his crew, he used those times to tease smooth, R&B-inspired songs—tracks that could easily belong on a potential third installment of Swag, if they ever get released.
The most fascinating moments came from the unfiltered footage of Bieber working through ideas, producing himself, and perfecting a lyric or melody. On the fourth day of streaming, he was seen testing out what could become a new hit, improvising melodies and playing around with different tones and lines until something clicked.
The behind-the-scenes studio moments offered a rare look into Bieber’s creative process, especially for someone once viewed as a pop star with little control over his music. In these streams, he appeared open and confident, freely exploring ideas in real time—even with thousands of fans silently tuning in.
Still, Bieber admitted the experience made him anxious. During one session with a few collaborators, he spoke candidly about what it feels like to create publicly.
“Going on Twitch is vulnerable as hell because people who just feel shitty about themselves project and then they write mean-ass things. It’s already hard enough to put yourself out there and then you gotta read all this,” he said.
He recalled reading a comment after coming home from playing basketball one night, when he was completely drained. “They were like, ‘Justin is not as exuberant. He will never be his exuberant self ever again. He’s lost his charisma.’ I was like, ‘What? I just played basketball last night, I’m just tired.’ And we’re talking about emotional things … And I start getting in my head, like ‘Ma, did I lose my charisma? My exuberance?’ I have a zest for life … It just sucks that you can have a million people say the nicest thing and then the one comment gets in there.”
In other parts of the stream, Bieber appeared more at ease, playing golf or practicing the drums—experimenting with the format as he figured out how he might continue sharing his world with fans in the future.
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