☝️ Key Points
- The song is about the lack of importance of sexual past in a relationship
- Derulo wants to spend an unforgettable night with his partner, regardless of their past
- It plays on the double meaning of 'body count'
- A positive attitude towards female autonomy and independence is advocated
- Derulo emphasizes the right to freely express sexuality without being judged
Interpretation
The song 'Body Count' by
Jason Derulo is about a relationship where the past and sexual experiences of the partner don't matter. Derulo emphasizes multiple times 'I don't really care about your body count', which means he doesn't care about the number of sexual partners his lover has had. Instead, he wants to spend an unforgettable night with her, as he expresses in the lines 'We got one night... To make that body count'. Derulo plays on the double meaning of 'body count' here - on one hand, the number of sexual partners, and on the other hand, the intensity of physical intimacy in that one night. Furthermore, a positive attitude towards female autonomy and independence is conveyed when he asks 'Do you pay your own bills?'. Derulo emphasizes that everyone has the right to freely live their sexuality without being judged - 'Girl, who am I to judge?'