No sex please, we’re musicians

The start of each year is commonly marked with attempts to better oneself. Cutting out the booze, ditching the cigs, hitting the gym… all admirable New Year’s resolutions, even if they do get binned once summer rolls round.

However, within the Twitter-sphere of ​“new year, new me” posts and threads, music’s leading lotharios are peddling one rather odd resolution.

“No sex da whole of 2020,” UK rapper Not3s tweeted on 3^rd January. Dancehall singer Kranium also appears to be on the same page, posting: ​“No more sex songs for the 2020.” It’s a statement that J Hus seems to agree with, the Afroswing pioneer swiftly retweeting it to his 368.2k followers.

While American rapper Lil Uzi Vert’s been on this wave for quite some time – admitting to his 5.7m followers: ​“I haven’t had sex in 2 years like end of 2018” this Boxing Day – it’s hard to miss the trend of self-enforced celibacy among music’s casanovas.

Claims of a generation wide sex drought featured in the headlines last year. A study published in the British Medical Journal back in March found that nearly a third of men and women aged 16 to 44 haven’t had sex in the past month, while a more recent study conducted by adult streaming platform Zaucey​.com stated that one in five Brits have sex three times a year or less.

Citing technology and the ubiquitousness of social media, researchers argue that millennials are too burned out and too disconnected to do the dirty. Furthermore, the study’s authors believe attitudes towards sex are changing, with increased transparency meaning individuals know what good sex is and are refusing to settle for anything less – even if it means getting none. People are apparently abstaining from casual sex in exchange for intimacy and connection, ensuring that both partners feel comfortable enough to assert their needs.

Not3s seems to agree. Exactly one minute after first tweeting his celibacy pledge, the rapper followed up with the tweet: ​“Connection > Sex”. It’s a sentiment longtime chastity fan Lil Uzi Vert apparently shares, as he posted: ​“I don’t wanna have sex I just wanna connect” earlier this year.

Millennials have long been lauded the ​“burnout generation”. With many internalising the idea that they should be working all the time, hobbies have been turned into side-hustles and demanding expectations are the norm. It’s a phenomenon that some experts believe is behind this sex-less new year – and musicians are no different.

When @LoxicityBackup trolled Lil Uzi Vert asking: ​“why you look so old”, the Philadelphia rapper was quick to respond: ​“I’m 25 and I work everyday I look like a parent”. With Uzi Vert’s long awaited sophomore album Eternal Atake rumoured to drop and the music video for his track Futsal Shuffle 2020 out today, it’s no surprise that the 25-year-old has been locked away in the studio.

Not3s has also had a busy year. He announced on Twitter on New Year’s Day that his album was finally ready, just a few weeks after jumping on D‑Block Europe​’s StreetTrauma track. ​“No sex da whole of 2020”? We’re amazed he even found the time to write that tweet.

So as you enter the new decade, setting goals and manifesting dreams for the approaching 20s, don’t get hung up if you’re not getting any – even your favourite musicians are choosing not to.