Rating: 5/5 stars

Paris Paloma (“the fruits”) teased the ending of her new song titled “Labour” on TikTok and it went viral. Women everywhere began making videos about their experiences relating to the song. Paloma ended up releasing the song early because of the excitement that grew from just the small snippet of the song.

“Labour” is a song about the amount of work women are expected to do in society and how it never seems to end. Paloma sings “For somebody I thought was my savior / You sure make me do a whole lot of labor,” referring to the fact that men often expect their wives and partners to do all the housework on top of their job.

Paloma filled this song with strong lyrics that resonated with many women. She says, “I know you’re a smart man (I know you’re a smart man) / And weaponise / The false incompetence.” She is referring to the fact that many men will act like they do not know how to do chores that women are typically expected to do. 

This song has a slow start and it slowly builds as the lyrics get more intense. Paloma’s writing paired with the music is done artistically and she is able to create a story in just under four minutes.

The beginning of “Labour” starts almost as if Paloma is accepting her fate as a woman, but she builds onto that, ending the song in an almost angry way. She ends the song chanting “All day, every day / Therapist, mother, maid / Nymph then a virgin / Nurse, then a servant / Just an appendage / Live to attend him / So that he never lifts a finger / 24/7 baby machine / So he can live out his picket-fence dreams / It’s not an act of love if you make her / You make me do too much labor.”

This verse is repeated three times, with Paloma getting angrier at her fate each time she finishes the verse. It is done in a beautiful way that will give you chills. You can feel the way she is tired of society’s expectations of women.

Paloma wrote “Labour” to bring attention to women’s history, but the song has a lot of meaning in today’s world as well. The lyrics of this song are written extremely well and they will likely resonate with all women, making them feel seen and understood. 

Paloma even references how women feel seeing their daughters in similar positions with the lyrics, “If we had a daughter / I’d watch and could not save her / The emotional torture / From the head of your high table.”

This line is showing the endless loop women are stuck in, but she ends the line with, “So now I’ve gotta run / So I can undo this mistake.” This shows that she is trying to break the cycle, by getting away from being tied down by her husband.

Image from Paris Paloma via YouTube