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Dancehall artiste Valiant is facing backlash— again.
This time, the controversy surrounds one of his latest singles, Short Shorts, whose official video was released on June 12 and has already racked up more than 379,000 views and counting.
Now, let's paint the scene.
The video opens with several women arriving at what appears to be a church. Upon reaching the entrance, they present their phones to a man dressed in what resembles a church robe. Instead of showing a Bible app or Sunday School notes, the women appear to be displaying a menstrual cycle tracker.
Inside, the church setting becomes even more unconventional. The scantily clad women take their seats, while one confidently marches to the pulpit and sits. Moments later, Valiant makes his entrance.
Standing at the pulpit, the deejay begins by quoting the biblical verse, "I can do all things through Christ..." before the woman seated at the front interjects with, "One man mi sey."
And just like that, the service takes a sharp detour.
Valiant launches into the track, and before long, the congregation trades pews for pavement as the women leave the church setting and begin dancing in the streets.
Needless to say, social media has been in a tizzy ever since.
The video has sparked heated debate online, with some viewers calling it disrespectful and even blasphemous due to its use of church imagery alongside the song's explicit themes.
Valiant, however, has defended the project. In an Instagram response, the "Passenger Princess" singer pointed out that the video's disclaimer states it was not filmed in an actual church and was not intended to disrespect any religion or denomination. He also referenced Shaggy's 2007 hit Church Heathen, which faced similar criticism upon its release, and quoted Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, that ye be not judged."
While some fans remain offended by the symbolism, others questioned whether the video's storyline made sense at all.
The controversy has since fueled a wider conversation online about artistic freedom, with some wondering whether Short Shorts was a bold creative choice or simply ragebait designed to get people talking.