Lady Gaga Slated by the Like

The Like have joined the debate about female singers such as Lady Gaga 'oversexualising' pop music by accusing the star and other artists as 'dressing like whores.'

Talking to Spinner, lead singer Elizabeth 'Z' Berg says that stars who style themselves as floozies are sending out the wrong messages on female sexuality, no matter how much they protest.

She blasts, "There's a difference between being sexy and feminine and a woman or girl, and dressing like a whore and being a bad influence. They talk about being huge feminists and protecting their right to be a woman and it's like, no, I don't see that's projecting a good message."

The frontwoman of the Los Angeles-based retro indie pop outfit continues, "I've had this problem with modern pop music and the way females are represented for so long.

"It's not like we're prudes, or that we're unsexy in the way we dress or we act, but it's about femininity and not over-sexualisation. We like to dress like girls do, not like whores do."

She claims that it explains part of the reason why she and her bandmates are attracted to the music and styles of the 1960s, as the era saw women become more empowered sexually but in a more innocent way.

Bass player Laena Geronimo adds that their refusal to sexualise their style sets them apart from other girl bands.

She says, "There aren't that many girl bands out there that are just completely unafraid to just be girls, you know, throw on a t-shirt and jeans and play the show.

"I've done that a million times. That's what it's like in this band, we're going dress like this and you're just going to have to deal with it."

Berg concludes that she's fed up of people bringing the Like's gender into the equation.

She rails, "It's so rare for anyone to talk about our music. People are always apt to talk about what we look like, who we've dated, who we're related to, or just the general fact that we're girls instead of talking about what the record sounds like.

"It's frustrating. But every time I play a show, remember why I don't give a f---, that's what makes me happy and makes it all worth it."

As previously reported on Spinner, the Like released its Mark Ronson-produced second album, 'Release Me,' on Sept. 6 in the UK.