Bebe Rexha’s “Not 20 Anymore” Lyrics Meaning
“Not 20 Anymore” is a song in which Bebe Rexha seems to be for the most part addressing a romantic interest. However, its main topic is actually age-related self-esteem issues.
In other words, the songstress is celebrating the fact that she is “not 20 anymore”. A decade has transpired since she was that age, and she is looking back on the changes she has undergone since then with pride.
However, this is set against the premise of – specifically from a beauty standpoint it would seem – age being something to be ashamed of. And even though such is not stated in the song, this of course alludes to the aesthetic ideologies put forth by the entertainment industry as well as the society at large. Indeed Rexha herself admits that, back in her younger days, she also believed that her beauty was based on her age. But now, being older and wiser, she wouldn’t go back in time to when she was 20 even if she had the opportunity to.
And in terms of her romantic interest, she is also letting him know that she is “a better lover” than she was back in the day. Or another way of looking at it is that throughout the years she has become better in bed. And in this particular case, if given the opportunity, she is more than willing to show him exactly what she means.
Conclusion
So we can conclude that this song is based on the singer celebrating the concept of aging, specifically in terms of her own personal development over the past few years. And this is done against the backdrop of youth being idealized. So in a way, her celebration of maturity is actually an act of defiance, in that it defies convention for a person, especially in the entertainment field, to relish the fact that they are getting older.
Release Date of “Not 20 Anymore”
Bebe Rexha released this song on 30 August 2019. That release date also happens to have been her 30th birthday. “Not 20 Anymore” appears on Rexha’s second studio album. On that same album appears the single “Last Hurrah“.
Production and Writing Credits
“Not 20 Anymore” was produced by the musical collective, The Monsters & Strangerz.
Two members of the group, Jordan Johnson and Stefan Johnson, also co-wrote the song along with German, Michael Pollack and Bebe Rexha.
