Olly Murs criticised for lyrics in ‘cruel’ new song ‘I Hate You When You’re Drunk’

Olly Murs is being criticised for “cruel” lyrics featured in his new song, “I Hate You When You’re Drunk”.

The upbeat pop track, which is taken from his forthcoming record Marry Me, was released on Friday (25 November).

However, shortly after it was given radio airplay, many immediately began criticising the song’s message, which sees Murs, 38, lambast a loved one for getting drunk on a night out.

The lyrics begin: “Oh, you're slurrin' all your words, there's make-up on my shirt / You're dancin' on the tables, can't you see / That you look like a mess and you're singin' Whitney?”

In the second verse, he sings: “Oh, you got them drunken eyes, should we call it a night? /‘Cause you’ve been tellin’ stories four-five times / Yeah, I’ve heard it before and my ears are bleedin’.”

Murs then repeatedly sings the words: “Oh, I hate you, hate you, I hate you, hate you when you're drunk.”

In another part of the song, he sings: “Because you wanna buy champagne / And you wanna throw the shots back / And now you're takin' photographs / Why am I the only one that don't laugh?”

Murs, who asks his loved one to “quit acting like a fool” then reassures them that he will “love you all the same” as “I’ll pick you up when you do it all again”.

Many criticised the song’s lyrics, with singer Rebecca Lucy Taylor AKA SELFESTEEM sharing a screenshot of them on Twitter, writing: “Presented without comment.”

DJ Shaun Keaveny wrote: “Olly Murs is quite the sad, controlling boyfriend according to the lyrics of his new song, ‘I Hate You When You’re Drunk’. I look forward to her reply song ‘I Hate You When You Sing’.”

In a follow-up reply, he added: “Imagine putting a track like that out into the world, being proud of the sentiment? It’s totally mad!”

Many have called upon Radio 2 to remove the track, which has been labelled “cruel” and “disgusting”, from its song list.

However, according to Murs, who co-wrote the song, its lyrics could apply to a friend or family member as well as to a love interest.

Ahead of its release, he said it “was a fun song to write as there have been so many times where a friend, family member or loved one has had one too many”.

The singer called it “a light-hearted take from the sober person’s point of view”, adding: ‘We all know someone!!!!”

Listeners have been responding to the song on Twitter, with @Missif writing: “Feel like the Olly Murs ‘I hate you when you’re drunk’ patriarchal control b/s could really use a response in song from Lily Allen”.

@Bairdric1 called it “a redflag of a song”, while another Twitter user said they were ”genuinely gobsmacked at the lyrics”.

“How many people must have okayed this misogynist monstrosity before it was released?!”

Murs, who shot to fame on The X Factor in 2009, tweeted about the single on Friday, accompanying the post with a compilation of clips showing himself drunk.

“I don’t just HATE YOU, I hate me when I’m drunk,” he wrote, adding: “New single out today check it out… I’m sure you can all relate to this one.”

Murs announced his engagement to bodybuilder and model Amelia Tank in June 2022. The pair have been dating since 2019.

The Independent has contacted Murs and EMI Records for comment.