Since the release of her debut self-titled album in 1996, Bif Naked has been creating catchy, listener-friendly punk rock infused with a political edge. Often considered a heavier Ani DiFranco-type, she is not afraid to tackle topics in her songs that are typically avoided, like abortion and sexuality. But her talent is not limited to just music: Bif has also released several spoken word albums, done voiceover work for cartoons, and appeared on television and in movies.
In an industry driven by image, her tattoos and piercings are not all that make her stand out. Bif is also one of the few openly and unabashedly bisexual women in today's music scene, and her unique style has made her an underground success for over a decade.
Born in India in 1971, Bif Naked (whose real name is Beth Torbert) was adopted and brought to America by missionaries in 1973. By the time she reached her teens her family had relocated to Canada, a place she still calls home twenty years later. Although she studied theatre in college, Bif devastated her parents by skipping most of her classes in favor of performing with a local Winnipeg punk rock band. She eventually dropped out of school, married her drummer, divorced him, and set out on her own.
Although Bif's musical journey began in her teens, the realization of her bisexuality came almost a decade earlier when she experimented with one of her close female friends. Since then she has never been shy about her sexuality, frequently mentioning it in interviews and taking care to say things like "boyfriend or girlfriend" when she refers to potential love interests.
At a time when even openly gay singers like Will Young sing lyrics about heterosexual love, Bif's songs reflect an open-mindedness that is both refreshing and long overdue.
Admittedly, most of the bisexuality in Bif Naked's songs is covert. But unless her songs are about specific events in her life (such as "Chotee", where she talks about her marriage and abortion), she writes in gender-neutral terms.
Songs like "Everyday" and "Moment of Weakness" avoid gender-specific pronouns, and Bif opts instead to craft them as universal songs about loving (and losing) someone. This type of writing not only gives mainstream radio a pop-friendly song to play, but also gives fans the opportunity to apply the song to whomever they love, regardless of gender.
But not all of Bif Naked's songs are so subtly bisexual. In "Rich and Filthy", one of the singles from her 2003 greatest hits album Essentially Naked, Bif bad-mouths a rich guy, then brags about stealing his girlfriend. In another song, "Twitch", Bif talks about how her boyfriend is cheating on her with another woman, so she in turn cheats on him with the same girl.
Cheating is a popular theme in Bif Naked's songs, which walks the dangerous line between singing about real issues and portraying bisexuals as bed-hopping sex fiends. But infidelity in general (unrelated to bisexuality) is a common theme in her music.
Page 1 / 2 - Next
