An American musician sparked outrage after singing she would ‘give up a few rights’ and ‘take a slap’ if it meant she’d be treated more respectfully by men – in some divisive lyrics.
Country star Jessie Murph, 20, performed the controversial tune on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, with the lines yearning for her beau to ‘love her like it’s 1965’.
Her ballad was also nostalgic for a time period where courting gentlemen were ‘handwriting letters’ and ‘showing up at the door with flowers’ instead of ‘hit[ting] [women] up on Snapchat‘ at 2am.
The star donned a Priscilla Presley beehive and a baby pink mini dress with patterned tights as she danced on a stage with a retro sofa in what appears to be a recreation of the ‘tradwife’ lifestyle, charming husband on hand.
The term refers to women who perform ‘traditional’ gendered roles, often likened to the archetypal 1950s ‘housewife’.
Recent interest in the aesthetic has seen millions on social media calling for girls to ditch corporate life and instead, dedicate their days to cooking, cleaning, wearing modest and feminine dress, and practicing traditional etiquette – as well as being submissive to their husbands.
Jessie’s tune attracted fury online, with many branding the remark ‘tasteless’ for making light of a time in which women endured horrific misogyny.
In both England and the US, marital rape was still legal during the era, and women could not open their own bank account, among other restrictions.
‘In 1965, it was legal for men to rape their wives. I don’t care if this is meant to be ironic or satirical or whatever, I absolutely hate it,’ one commenter on social media penned.
Jessie Murph performed her latest track 1965 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night, which includes the line ‘I think I’d give up a few rights if you would just love me like it’s 1965’
Donning a Priscilla Presley beehive and a baby pink mini dress with patterned tights, Murph danced on a stage with a retro sofa in what appears to be a recreation of the ‘tradwife’ lifestyle, charming husband on hand
Another added: ‘Like what does loving like it’s 1965 even mean? Getting your a** beat? having no rights is romantic? I hate the white woman 50s-60s “aesthetic”.’
A third simply exclaimed: ‘”I think id give up a few rights if you would just love me like it’s 1965″ SORRY?????’
‘Call me too woke but “I would give up rights if you love me like it’s 1965” at a time where women are actually losing rights is so insane???’ another offered.
Others similarly agreed, writing: ‘Has anyone else heard the song 1965 by Jessie Murph?
‘Read the lyrics, it’s literally far right propaganda that is encouraging women to give up their rights. People are saying it’s satire but given everything going on, why say this while we are literally at risk of losing our rights ??’.
She’s not the only performer to have attracted backlash for similar aesthetics in recent months.
In June, Sabrina Carpenter announced her new album Man’s Best Friend – but the cover art for the upcoming release sparked fierce criticism from fans.
During an Instagram Live, the 26-year-old pop singer shared a video of herself flipping through a stack of records by Donna Summer, ABBA, and Dolly Parton, before stopping on her own, revealing Man’s Best Friend.
Murph, who received similar backlash for the music video to 1965, resorted to taking to TikTok to confirm ‘the entire song is satire. Are y’all stupid?’ (pictured 21 July 2025)
Jessie’s lyrics attracted fury online, with many believing the remark was tasteless and made light of a period of horrific misogyny for women
Earlier this year, Jessie turned up at the ACM Awards 2025 in Texas with a baby piglet in her arms
The teaser gave a peek at the album cover, showing Carpenter on all fours while a person dressed in black slacks — whose face is not visible — pulls her blonde hair.
She also posted a close-up image of a heart-shaped dog collar engraved with Man’s Best Friend. The highly sexualized and provocative album art quickly drew backlash, and she later released a more conservative alternative.
After her performance, Jessie thanked the Tonight show for a ‘dazzling’ and ‘grand time’.
The Alabama-born singer first rose to fame from uploading vlogs and song covers to TikTok and YouTube – which led her on to releasing her two albums: That Ain’t No Man That’s the Devil in 2024 and Sex Hysteria in 2025.
She also received backlash when the music video for her song, 1965, was released – with some accusing the footage of being pornography, Taste of Country reported.
In the retro-inspired clips that shows a family around a table – and Jessie forlornly singing to a child – as there is also a brief shot of a couple having sex.
The clip – which has to have age verification to be watched – drew comments like ‘the fact that YouTube removes videos for way less and this is still up is insane’ and having a child in this video, especially just before a sexual scene, is wild’.
The track also includes risque lines like ‘I might get a little slap-slap, but you wouldn’t hit me on Snapchat’ and ‘I would be twenty, and it’d be acceptable for you to be forty’.
Jessie resorted to taking to TikTok to insist that ‘the entire song is satire’, quipping: ‘Are y’all stupid?’.
It’s not the first time Jessie sparked attention in the media.
In May, the singer turned heads at the ACM awards 2025 after she bizarrely rocked up on the red carpet with a baby pig.
Talking to Entertainment Tonight before the show, she introduced the ‘little guy’ as Wilbur.
‘I just decided that I wanted a pig, and I’ve always wanted one my whole life,’ she explained.
‘I’ve always wanted a mini pig, and then I find out that miniature pigs don’t exist.’
