Royel Otis apologise over misogynistic lyrics accusations in ‘Moody’
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(Credits: Jamieson Kerr / Royel Otis)
Australian indie-rock band Royel Otis have apologised after receiving accusations of misogyny relating to the release of their new single, ‘Moody’.
The new track arrived on May 9th and has already racked up close to four million streams on Spotify alone. However, the line, “My girl’s a bitch when she’s moody,” has proved contentious and led to a backlash on social media, which the band have now addressed.
Royel Otis, comprised of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, released their debut album, Pratt and Pain, last year. However, now, a former school friend of Pavlovic has alleged that the band have deleted criticism of their new release on social media and accused them of misogyny.
The friend told news.com.au, “In 2025, it’s disheartening to hear a local Australian artist- someone I know or I knew- casually refer to women as ‘bitches’ in their lyrics. They’ve been deleting comments that call out the lyrics and video, while only replying to the positive ones. It’s dismissive and cowardly, and it says a lot about whose voices they value
The former friend also claimed that using lyrics of this nature contributes “to a culture that devalues women and hinders progress toward equality and safety”.
In response, Kay and Hughes Art and Entertainment Lawyers said on behalf of the band’s management to the Australian publication: “Moody has been Royel Otis’ highest performing release in the first 2 weeks globally both digitally and on radio
Maddell and Pavlovic added in a shared statement: “This song is written from a specific perspective it is not intended to convey a broader view or standpoint about women in general. We apologise if anyone understood those lyrics otherwise.”
Royel Otis recently performed at Coachella and will play at Glastonbury Festival as well as Reading and Leeds in the UK this summer. They also have an extensive headline tour of North America plotted for later this year, in addition to numerous appearances on the festival circuit on both sides of the Atlantic.
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