Debut single from TikTok superstar Bella Poarch critiquing unrealistic beauty standards and objectification, accompanied by a controversial music video featuring influencer cameos.
Artist Background
Bella Poarch became TikTok’s third-most-followed creator through her lip-sync videos, particularly the viral “M to the B” video (50+ million likes). “Build a Bitch” marked her transition from creator to recording artist in May 2021.
Song Message
The track uses Build-A-Bear Workshop imagery as a metaphor, with lyrics like “This ain’t Build-A-Bitch / You don’t get to pick and choose” addressing unrealistic expectations placed on women and social media beauty culture.
The message resonated with Gen Z audiences grappling with Instagram face filters and cosmetic surgery normalization.
Music Video Controversy
The video featured fellow influencers (Valkyrae, Bretman Rock, ZHC, others) and referenced “mad scientist” aesthetics. It sparked debate about TikTok nepotism and whether influencer crossover singles had artistic merit or were vanity projects.
Despite criticism, the video reached 100 million YouTube views in 3 weeks.
Chart Performance
“Build a Bitch” charted in 17 countries, peaked at #56 on Billboard Hot 100, and accumulated 500+ million Spotify streams, legitimizing Poarch’s music career beyond her social media fame.
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