A Controversial Cover and a Heartfelt Apology
An Australian band has found themselves at the center of a social media storm after making controversial comments about a popular Usher song during a live performance. The Melbourne-based punk group, Radio Free Alice, appeared on Triple J’s Like A Version program, where artists are invited to cover a song of their choice. However, their remarks about the Usher track sparked widespread backlash from fans and critics alike.
During the interview, the band revealed their reason for choosing the 2010 hit “DJ’s Got Us Fallin’ In Love,” calling it “the ugliest duckling” of bad songs. They claimed they wanted to see if they could turn it into a good song. This statement quickly ignited outrage among listeners, who took to social media to express their anger and disappointment.
“This song is the ugliest duckling of bad songs! So, we thought it was a fun challenge to see if we could turn it into a good song, if that was physically possible,” the band said during the interview.
The comments were met with strong reactions, with many accusing the band of being disrespectful and tone-deaf. Some users criticized the band for not understanding the cultural significance of the song, while others questioned their musical abilities.
“It’s not too late to apologise for at best the clearly thoughtless comments,” one person wrote. Another user asked, “Are they calling…… DJs got us falling in love again by THE USHER…… a bad song? Who tf are they WHAT???!!”
The controversy escalated further when fans pointed out that the Usher song was a massive success, going multi-platinum in multiple countries. One comment read, “The Usher song is a product of the time, but it was WILDLY successful and went multi-platinum in a dozen countries. Their cover is awful, they took an ‘ugly duckling’ and turned it into a dead duck.”
Another user expressed frustration, saying, “The audacity to disrespect USHER and I don’t even like Usher.” Meanwhile, some fans suggested that the band’s next song should be “how to destroy your music career in one sentence.”
Despite the backlash, the band eventually issued a public apology, acknowledging that their comments had caused hurt and that they had failed to consider the impact of their words. They also emphasized that their intention was not to offend but to make light-hearted remarks.
“We’ve taken some time to sit with the response to our Like A Version interview and want to address it personally. We’ve done a lot of reflecting and it’s clear we didn’t consider the hurt our words about Usher’s song could have caused,” the band stated in their apology.
“To black artists and other communities, and for that we are sorry. Our intention was for it to be tongue-in-cheek, which isn’t an excuse for misjudging how it would land, particularly as a band of four white Australian males.”
The band concluded by expressing their commitment to learning from the experience and being more mindful of their words in the future.
“We now better understand the issues many of you have raised, and we will continue to learn from them. We care a lot about the music we make and the community around it, and we don’t take your criticism lightly.”
Triple J’s Like A Version program remains one of the station’s most popular and long-running segments, known for showcasing a wide range of musical talent and creativity.
