Bitch (Meredith Brooks song) - Definition and Overview

"Bitch" is a song that was released by Meredith Brooks in 1997 on her album Blurring the Edges. Initially, some radio stations preferred not to mention the name of the song and would instead refer to it as "a song by Meredith Brooks". However, with the climbing popularity of the song, its name became more commonplace to announce on the air. When the song first hit the airwaves, most call-in listeners believed the song was by Alanis Morissette due to the recent success of Morissette in rock music at the time. Later on, different remixes of the song became popular in dance clubs.

The song has a drum machine rhythm with a guitar accompaniment. It uses guitar riffs to emphasize the word "bitch" throughout the chorus of the song. Lyrically, the song describes the singer's point of view and feelings behind someone deemed a bitch. In the chorus, the song tells of the different faces and contradictory feelings that are associated with being a bitch.

The song steadily rose on the Billboard Charts and became an international success, being a hit in countries such as the UK and New Zealand. The music video that accompanied the song features Brooks on guitar with a flower background swirling behind her. As the song plays, different feminine objects float by showing the softer side of womanhood, such as dolls, babies, and dresses—this visually shows a juxtaposition to the common connotations of a bitch.

Despite numerous attempts, Brooks hasn't managed to repeat the same popularity and commercial success as "Bitch." For this, she is commonly seen as a one-hit wonder. In most interviews, Brooks has stated that "Bitch" almost never made it on the album, but a friend loaned her the money to help record the song.

Charts

Singles