We’ve all seen it. We’ve all heard it. It’s everywhere ‒ boomin’ all over social media feeds like it’s the anthem of the year. And you know exactly what I am talking about: KSI’s new banger “Thick of It.” It has gone so viral that he practically deserves an award ‒ but not for his musical genius. No ‒ this takes the crown, the crown that KSI asked for, for being a prime example of the epitome of human trash.
And let’s be honest, this song is terrible. From the 2014 beat to the most ChatGPTed lyrics, the song has become the punchline of countless jokes across social media. People are saying it’s so bad, that it has given them a new condition: “Auditory Trash Syndrome,” a made-up disease that can rank just above “Lyrical Cancer”: a rare condition caused by overexposure to garbage lyrics.
Scrolling through TikTok and Instagram, you’ll find memes mocking this song, comparing it to everything from goofy “Noob vs. Pro vs Hacker” music, to “How to get Unlimited Gems Clash of Clans Tutorial (No Hack/Jailbreak)” music. It’s almost impressive how “Thick of It” managed to unite the entirety of the internet in collective revulsion.
The above is what many have said, but is it necessarily true? While “Thick of It” is definitely mediocre, does it warrant the creation of skits depicting dead people rising from their graves just to turn it off? The simple answer is no. Sure, the song has its flaws, but let’s not forget other musical abominations, like the Skibidi Toilet song. Did that garner nearly as much hate? NO!! So why is “Thick of It” faced with so much backlash?
The truth is, it’s not just about the music ‒ it’s about KSI himself. Recently, KSI has found himself in the crosshairs of public disdain. From his controversial launch of the Lunchly brand to his public feuds with fellow beloved content creators such as DanTDM, KSI has stirred up a lot of negative attention. His brash persona, coupled with his immense ego and outspoken nature have rubbed many people in the wrong way, and it’s safe to say that some of that hate has spilled over into reactions to his music.
For those unfamiliar with his controversial presence online, however, the song doesn’t seem as appalling. Take Aiden Ross, for example: with little knowledge of KSI’s infamous Twitter posts and feuds, he simply asked while listening to the song, “Do you guys think this song is hard?” – showing that without the baggage of KSI’s persona, “Thick of It” might just be a passable track for some.
Unfortunately, Aiden Ross is just an outlier, as for many (including myself), it’s not really about personal opinion of the song or KSI himself. Instead, people tend to follow the crowd, allowing societal trends to shape their opinions. Even if one thinks the song is just “mid,” they’ll exaggerate their disgust, calling it the worst piece of music ever, simply because that’s what everyone else is saying. This reflects a much deeper issue in society: the tendency for individuals to conform to the opinions around them, regardless of what they truly think.
Let me ask you this: Do you really hate “Thick of It” that much? Is it so unbearable that you’d commit arson or murder just to turn it off? Probably not, right? Yet, when you’re surrounded by people declaring it “cancer,” it’s easy to fall in line and echo those sentiments.
A perfect example of such a scenario is demonstrated by IShowSpeed. After listening to just two seconds of the song – literally just seconds, without even hearing three words – he immediately yelled, “Turn that [song] off… TURN THAT [SONG] OFFFF!!!” He quit the song on the spot. Now, we don’t know for certain if Speed genuinely hated the song that much, or if he just reacted the way he knew his audience expected him to, but we can infer his true intentions. This snap judgment depicts how easily people adopt extreme opinions based on the “popular” stance.
This pattern points to a deeper issue in society: the pressure to conform and act “normal,” which often means accepting the standards set by others, no matter how irrational or exaggerated they may be. When people speak out with controversial or unpopular opinions, they often face backlash, which discourages genuine discourse. It’s no longer about having personal taste or opinion – it’s about fitting into the social mold. History is full of examples where the dominant opinion wasn’t based on individual thought, but rather on social conformity.
Take the disco genre in the 1970s. At one point, disco was wildly popular, but as soon as public opinion turned against it, there was a wave of “Disco Sucks” movements, culminating in events like the Disco Demolition Night. Many people likely followed the anti-disco trend not because they hated the music, but because it became “cool” to hate it. Those who defended disco were ridiculed, further supporting the idea that popular opinion overrides personal taste.
The rise and fall of Nickelback in the 2000s, provides another more recent case. The band was massively successful, but at some point, it became almost a meme to hate them. People would claim that NickelBack was the “worst band ever” without really engaging with their music, simply echoing what others were saying.
The same phenomenon is happening with KSI’s song. Just like the waves of hate that engulfed disco and Nickelback, the backlash against KSI’s song isn’t solely about its quality. It’s about the social narrative that has been built around it and how society encourages conformity.
In the end, “Thick of It” isn’t great, or even that good, but it’s not the worst thing to happen to music either. The overblown reactions, the memes, the skits – it’s all just part of the social game. And whether people truly believe the song is bad, or they’re just parroting what everyone else says, one thing is clear: it’s not just about the music anymore. It’s about following the trend.
