LISTEN: The 10 best bops celebrating the joys of anal sex

Anal sex has always been a taboo topic in popular culture. But that hasn’t stopped people from singing about it—subtly and in some cases explicitly.

Over the years, there have been songs about both giving it and receiving it. But it seems the most iconic songs about butt play have managed to become big hits because of how their true meaning has slid by for years before anyone caught on.

Anal sex has been around since the ancient Greeks, so, luckily for us, it is doubtful that it will go out of fashion anytime soon. Yet there is no denying the artistry it takes to put a fresh spin on the act as one of the world’s oldest pastimes.

In examining 10 songs that discuss doing the deed, we found the key is all in the details. None of the songs ever mention the words “anal” or “sex”, but the combination of catchy lyrics and sexual innuendo more than get the point across.

All you have to do is relax and enjoy the ride…

“Relax” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Released in 1984, “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood has all the underpinnings of a great anal sex song. Its lyrics are insightful and instructional, and the song’s accompanying music video is homoeroticism at its finest: in other words, the all around perfect portrayal of how visuals and audio can combine to present a strong message. Indeed, when it comes to queer cultural moments, they just don’t make them like this anymore. Luckily, the internet is forever—which means Frankie Goes to Hollywood will be teaching young twinks and interested parties alike how to relax for generations to come. 

“Pull Up to the Bumper” by Grace Jones

The legendary Grace Jones isn’t one to mince words—as evidenced by her well-documented wild career and history of wild moments—including that time she bitch slapped a man on live TV. But even she seemingly preferred to take a more cool and casual approach when it came to talking about anal sex. Her song “Pull Up to the Bumper” embodies such an effort. The song has a dancehall vibe, the kind of beat you can cruise to on a summer day. But the lyrics say night, late night, the kind of night that you crave after dancing hours in the club. As the song goes, “Pull up to my bumper baby/In your long black limousine/Pull up to my bumper baby/And drive it in between.” A point perfectly driven home.

“Bloom” by Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan’s “Bloom” is a thinly veiled metaphor about being so comfortable with a partner during anal sex that you can let go and let bloom. Among the song’s many floral metaphors, it’s these lyrics that are particularly poignant: “I need you to/Tell me right before it goes down/Promise me you’ll/Hold my hand if I get scared now/Might tell you to/Take a second, baby, slow it down.” Raise your hand if that sounds like your first time having anal sex! Sivan puts a sweet spin on the topic with a music video chock full of color and sensuality. But at its core, “Bloom” is all about butt play, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Down For Whatever” by Kelly Rowland

In “Down For Whatever,” released in 2011 at the height of Kelly Rowland’s club anthem career phase, she chants that she is down for whatever—especially “when it comes to you.” The implication is that she is also down for backdoor sex. She spends most of the song singing about where she wants to do it—“wherever.” And when she wants to do it—“whenever.” Overall, it’s the kind of song you don’t sing lightly, unless you are, of course, “down for whatever.” In which case if you are, hit the repeat button and hold on tight. 

“Hey Mickey” by Toni Basil

Over the years, Tony Basil’s “Hey Mickey” has become the go-to song for athletic pep rallies around the country. Released in 1981, it tells the typical story of a girl head-over-heels for a guy and begging him not to play her. In the lyrics, she pleads that she can take his love any way he wants to give. She can even take it like a man! “So come on and give it to me anyway you can/Anyway you want to do it, I’ll take it like a man/Oh please baby, please don’t leave me in this jam Mickey,” the lyrics go. And you can only wonder what happened next. 

“Erotica” by Madonna

Madonna’s “Erotica” is a well-known sexual romp of a song. With bondage, blindfolds, role play and whips—nothing seems to be off limits, and that’s just the music video. For obvious reasons, the song and accompanying music video was controversial when it was released in 1992. But it has since become the anthem for sexual freedom and the exploration of pleasure, including pleasure from behind. As the Queen of Pop seductively asks in the song, “If I take you from behind/Push myself into your mind/When you least expect it/Will you try and reject it?” Madge as her Mistress Dita persona would be difficult for anyone to deny, and she perfectly lays out everything that’s in store in the song.

“Goodie Goodies” by Cakes Da Killa

Before Troye Sivan and Lil Nas X, there was Cakes Da Killa breaking barriers by rapping about gay sex in explicit detail. In his song “Goodie Goodies,” we are past sexual innuendo and into explicit detail regarding the ways in which men enjoy his goodie goodies. He raps, “Lets get it straight swerve up in it/This n*gga tryna dig me out in his Honda civic/Want it I’m with it the cocky got me climbing up ceilings/He beat it up and skeet it up and pipe a mile a minute (Damn).”

Damn, indeed!

“Over To You Now” by Britney Spears

Somehow the biggest Britney Spears stans missed her nod to anal sex in the song “Over To You Now”. The song was released during the height of her chaotic era with second husband Kevin Federline, so one can be excused for missing the track in all the commotion. Yet there it was, with Spears singing sensually and openly about this “secret” place “in the basement” that you will need, ahem, “some juice” to enter. “You need some juice, but you’ll love it once you get there,” she assures, before continuing, “This special place, it’s in the basement/You have to work your way around/The place is hot and then it’s pumpin’/So are you ready to go down?” Well, are you? 

“Birthday Cake” by Rihanna

It seems not quite right to call Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake” a song. It clocks in at just 1:20 in length, with pulsing beats and a wild rhythm, and it feels more like you’re listening in on someone’s pillow talk. Despite this, Rihanna delivers a hit in record time, which is all the proof you need to know why she has become the superstar that she is today. And it’s her handling of the sexy lyrics that has clued listeners in that she could be talking about more than just birthday cake. “It’s not even my birthday/But he want to lick the icing off,” she sings. “I know you want it in the worst way/Can’t wait to blow my candles out.” We all deserve to have the candles on our cake blown out at least once a year. Don’t you think? 

“Whole New Way” by Scissor Sisters

If you know the Scissor Sisters, then you know they don’t shy away from queer topics. With out musician extraordinaire Jake Shears as the group’s front man, it makes sense that they would release more than a few sexually charged songs. The song “Whole New Way” is the opposite. What’s great about the song is that it is not overly sexual in nature and delivery, but rather talks matter of factly about finding a new way to love a lover from behind. “I found a whole new way to love you/I’ve got a big surprise, I can’t see your eyes, but I think you’ll like it too,” he sings. “I found a whole new way to love you/My sneak up from behind is gonna blow your mind/But if not this time, we’re through.”

There are many things we love about the Scissor Sisters, but “Whole New Way” has helped us appreciate the group’s queerness and openness in a whole new way!