Sheena Easton, Sugar Walls | Controversial Tunes 😈🎶

In the 10^th edition of Controversial Tunes (2023), we explore the controversy behind the song, “Sugar Walls” by Sheena Easton. 

Bring on the controversy! Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows and totally stirred the pot.  The records that grace Controversial Tunes are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  In the 10^th edition of Controversial Tunes (2023), we explore the controversy behind the song, 🎵 “Sugar Walls” by 🎙 Sheena Easton. 

via GIPHY

“Blood races to your private parts / Lets me know there’s a fire.” Ooh wee, 🎙 Sheena Easton! “You can’t fight passion when passion is hot / Temperatures rise inside my sugar walls.” Wow! 🎵 “Sugar Walls” ended up being one of seven top-10 hits for Easton, peaking at no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Easton saw “Sugar Walls,” which appears on her 1984 album, 💿 A Private Heaven, reach its peak position in 1985.  As the lyrics suggest, “Sugar Walls” is a sexual song, specifically referencing the vagina. It should not shock you that 🎼 ✍ Prince penned this risqué pop record, where Easton asserts, “Come spend the night inside my sugar walls” (chorus) and “It’s raining tonight / Heaven on Earth inside my sugar walls” (verse three).  Again, I say, ooh wee!

These days, songs about/referencing female private parts are far less taboo. 🎵 “Sweetener” by 🎙 Ariana Grande comes to mind, specifically when she sings naughtily, “I like the way you lick the bowl / Somehow your method touches my soul / It lifts me up to heights unknown… ” Back then, a song referencing the vagina was utterly shocking.  No, the song never gets specific about anatomy, but clearly, female pleasure is the modus operandi.  Naturally, “Sugar Walls” experienced its bans due to sexual content, including landing a spot on the infamous  Filthy 15, songs targeted by the PMRC or Parents Music Resource Center.  Given the fact that Prince wrote the song, his reward was appearing twice on the list.  C’mon, we all know it was 🎵 “Darling Nikki” that made Tipper Gore feel some type of way! Regardless, as stated earlier, 🎵 “Sugar Walls” gave Easton another top-10 hit and no controversy ultimately inhibited her career.

via GIPHY

🎙 Sheena Easton • 💿 A Private Heaven • 🏷 RT Industries • 🗓 1984

Sheena Easton, “Sugar Walls”: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 No. 10 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; RT Industries; Anand Kulkarni, Aykut Bingül, Luân Phan, mohammadreza merhvand via Pexels; Anna, Gordon Taylor, harshahars from Pixabay; christian buehner on Unsplash]