Celebrity
An Ode To Pop Stars Who Give Us Nothing
The low-energy moments of stars like Dua Lipa and Selena Gomez deserve to be celebrated.
In February 2018, Dua Lipa performed her breakthrough hit “New Rules” at the BRIT Awards. In the YouTube comments section, one fan wrote, “I love her lack of energy, go girl give us nothing!” And at that moment, a new meme was born.
“Go girl, give us nothing” has expanded beyond a shady but good-natured YouTube comment. It’s now a mantra to live by, a lifestyle to aspire to, and an attitude people embody at some point in their lives. It’s even been used as a dig at politicians when their constituents feel they aren’t doing enough.
But at its core, it’s still a joke that “Stan Twitter” (don’t make me say Stan X) use when some celebs give a lackluster red-carpet appearance or just don’t feel like channeling all of their energy into performing.
Lipa has since spoken out about the meme, saying it felt “really hurtful” at the time. “I found it really painful because I was like, ‘I’m finally getting to do something that I love to do, and I’m being shut down, that I just can’t seem to do anything right,’” she said. However, for many fans, she was doing it right all along.
The internet has come to adore and appreciate the moments when pop stars give nothing, especially when they’re capable of giving everything, as Lipa proved with the joyous, razor-sharp performances of her Future Nostalgia era. It shows that they’re simply human and experience “meh” work days like the rest of the world.
These girls will always be remembered for their hits and extravagant shows. But now, it’s time to applaud the relatable moments where they gave us nothing. (The Give Nothing Girls would be a very good girl group name, by the way.)
Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff embodied IDGAF energy in her 2007 “With Love” dance routine, which a TikTok video called the “original go girl give us nothing.” The performances of her underrated hit have gone viral thanks to Duff’s simple choreography and her lack of effort, which has been gleefully recreated on TikTok. In fact, it went so viral that Duff herself recreated it in 2022, putting in just a little more effort this time, and it remained just as iconic.
Selena Gomez
A clip of Selena Gomez rehearsing her performance of the 2013 hit “Come & Get It” on Dancing With the Stars went viral in 2022 — mainly because there was no dancing to be found. Instead, she simply stood around the stage as the music played, only waking up for the final pose. In her defense, it was only a rehearsal, but the laissez-faire attitude was all too relatable.
The Girls of BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK just might be the hardest-working girl group around right now. But even their fans are not afraid to lovingly poke fun at the few moments one of them gives nothing, from an instance of Jisoo having lower energy to the time Jennie just looked bored and took a break mid-performance. At least they’re able to back each other up.
Taylor Swift
Yes, even Taylor Swift isn’t immune from the “give us nothing” meme, as seen in a viral clip of her performing “Blank Space” on the 1989 World Tour. In her defense, Swift still served the dramatic energy the song requires like a true pro. She just chose to skip a high note in the middle of said song, resulting in one of her signature meme-worthy tour bloopers.
Nicki Minaj
“Go girl give us nothing” energy hit its peak on Dec. 16, when Nicki Minaj performed her new hit “Everybody” at a Jingle Ball concert — while lying down on the floor, only rapping some words live over the backing track. Basically, she was all of us on our last day of work before the holidays — and having released a new album only the week prior, can you blame her?
