11. Sexy MF

 Sexy MF

Not quite similar in overall melody and progression, something in this track feels like a reimagined, rebuilt take on “Sexy M.F.”, the underrated 1992 hit by Prince. They both have a fast tempo, upbeat rhythm, almost like a strut. Labrinth has spoken about his influence from and admiration of Prince, so this track’s small similarities don’t come as a complete surprise.

The track starts off with more video game type sound effects, but only for a few moments before plunging into a very beat driven track. I appreciate how artistically Labrinth censors this song, although I don’t understand why. He has other explicit tracks on the album, so why self-censor this one? He doesn’t leave gaps, however. He fills the censor with another sound or effect instead of what we normally hear on the radio, where there’s an obvious gap.

Echoing the more minor theme from the previous tracks, Labrinth brings God onto the track, even though this song would seem to be on the opposite side of the spectrum from religion and religious conversation. He refers to the “person of interest” as a masterpiece created by God. He’s trying to praise the person, getting them to sleep with him, but promising control. The entire song is essentially coaxing this person into bed by complimenting them and being extremely straightforward. If “All For Us” was drug-centric, “Sexy MF” is the Sex of Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll.

Labrinth plays with vocals in sound mixing production not only for censoring the lack of “fuck” but also to add voices as an addition to instruments in spaces during the first chorus. One of my favorite lines on this track comes as a parenthetical lyric at the end of the first chorus, “I’m ready for a verse.” After a rather drawn out chorus, this is exactly how I feel, too. Let’s bring the verse back around! The narrator/speaker continues to talk to his person of interest in the second verse, determining what kind of relationship they should pursue. They seem to have pressure coming at them from the public eye, and whether it’s something serious or atypical, he is eager to “...have a hot one ridin’ with [him].”

The progression of this song follows similarly to a classic story arc. The beginning starts slow and steady, even adding a sexual gasp at the end of the first verse after the line “You could talk dirty to me as well.” The pre-chorus leads us up the hill to the chorus, acting as a climax, although not all that dramatic. Another section that may be acting as a sort of climax is in the second pre-chorus after Labrinth sings “God made a masterpiece,” where the music cuts and only the gospel-like vocals repeat the line before coming back in with the beat and instruments. It gives the impression of bated breath or a skipped beat, possibly indicative of a heart skipping a beat. By the end we’re brought back down, with a very literal ending, “Think you wore me out.” The track does not fade out, it bluntly ends with an enthusiastic “ow!”

“Sexy MF” is fairly simple to understand, and I genuinely like how easy this song is. It has a great beat, simple lyrics, and an easy message. I will say the topic is more similar to classic radio songs, something Labrinth tends to steer clear from creating. He never strays from his style, though, and definitely stays true to himself in that sense.