I had to laugh about mention of the contrast between “Independent Woman” and “Cater to You” because I thought the very same thing to myself. When listening to “Cater to You”, I’ve had quite an inner struggle about how to feel about the song. I think that what the song mentions doing is wonderful for someone who loves someone else, as long as the person they love does the same back for them equally. Considering the song mentions nothing of the sort, I can’t stop thinking it sends the message of “submissive woman” when I hear it.

The part that really bothers me is the “I’ll keep myself up, remain the same chick you fell in love with. I’ll keep it tight, I’ll keep my figure right.” Unless you’re a rich pop star, chances are than an independent woman is working full-time with little time to spare. It is a good goal to keep yourself in shape, but there should be understanding if a woman evolves. There’s so much heavy pressure on women in that subject, despite the fact that we’re naturally more prone to weight gain, while men commonly are given much less to no grief about it. Based on what I know about our society, I’m sure that most people that hear the song would not think of the man doing the same thing back and would not criticize him nearly as much for not being that way. Grrrrrrr