If you’re an avid social media user, like 90 percent of University of Miami students, you’ve more than likely stumbled upon the “Hot Girl Summer” hashtag. However, “Hot Girl Summer” isn’t just a hashtag. It’s become a movement— one that celebrates body positivity, confidence, diversity and sexual liberation.
The “OG Hot Girl,” Meg Thee Stallion, stole the attention of millions of young women everywhere through her boasty rap lyrics and upbeat personality. The now-iconic 5’10 rapper, who hails from Houston, sparked a wave of confidence in women, especially throughout the black community. Those who felt like they didn’t meet the typical beauty standards of being under a certain height with Eurocentric features felt more open to being themselves now that there was someone like Stallion representing them.
“Being a Hot Girl is about being unapologetically YOU, having fun, being confident, living YOUR truth, being the life of the party, etc,” Stallion wrote via Twitter.
All summer, the mantra “real hot girl s**t,” echoed throughout various social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat. The viral movement not only focuses on women but encourages men and non-binary people to participate as well. The hashtag sparked newfound confidence in all different kinds of people around the country. People shared their weight-loss journeys, boasted about travel, posted contagious dancing videos and lived their best lives this summer, all while sharing their experiences on social media, accompanied by the hashtag, #HotGirlSummer.
Even celebrities such as Ciara Wilson, Jordyn Woods and Jada Pinkett-Smith have joined the rapper in spreading the positivity of the “Hot Girl Summer” hashtag.
“It’s just basically about women— and men— just being unapologetically them, just having a good-ass time, hyping up your friends, doing you, not giving a damn about what nobody got to say about it,” Stallion explained in an interview with The Root.
“Hot Girl Summer” has even made its way to multi-million dollar companies such as Maybelline and ASOS, using the catchphrase to promote their products and for their social media branding purposes.
However, because the phrase was spontaneously created during a social media post, it wasn’t legally classified as the rapper’s own. Therefore, the companies who used her phrase weren’t obligated to pay her for the use of her words. Luckily, Stallion is now in the process of trademarking “Hot Girl Summer,” which will also allow her to create her own merchandise for her millions of fans. Therefore, Stallion will finally get her (rightfully owned) coin.
On Aug. 9, 2019, she also blessed her fans with the release of the song, “Hot Girl Summer” featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign. The song has already amassed over millions of plays and is currently charting at number three on iTunes.
Although summer is coming to an end, the “Hot Girl Summer” movement has proved that it will not be dying out anytime soon— just changing seasons.
Alena Williams is a sophomore majoring in journalism.