Someone Asked Bebe Rexha to Cover Her Stretch Marks In Her "Last Hurrah" Music Video

By Shammara Lawrence


Bebe Rexha is on the up and up. The internationally-acclaimed musician had a magnificent 2018 — in June, she dropped, Expectations, her long-awaited debut album which skyrocketed up the charts shortly soon after its release and helped earn her two Grammy nominations — and this year is already gearing up to be another one for the books.


Her latest song, Last Hurrah, dropped on February 15th to much fanfare. A catchy track with a upbeat melody, the song speaks candidly about the difficulty of letting go of bad habits and showcases her powerful voice and knack for creating music with proper emotion and lyrics. It came with a powerful video to match, because the “Last Hurrah” clip sees Rexha dancing, partying, and drinking the night away, before pledging to give up the indulgent lifestyle for good.


Known for being incredibly transparent in her music and everyday life, Bebe isn’t afraid to speak her mind any time as a situation calls for it. She reignited a longstanding conversation about the lack of size inclusivity in the style industry soon after some designers allegedly rejected to dress her for the Grammy Awards because she was “too big.” Disappointed, the singer used Instagram to send the message that all body types are worthy and deserve to be seen in pretty dresses. “If a size 6 [or] 8 is also big, then I don’t know what to tell you. Then I don’t desire to wear your f--king dresses,” she mentioned in a now-viral video. The clip led to an outpouring of support from fans and designers alike. Ultimately, she was able to work with the Middle Eastern label Monsoori, who put together a phenomenal voluminous red tulle gown for her to wear on the big night. Still, it goes to show that the luxury style space has ways to go in how designers view people above a sample size.


MTV News caught up with Rexha to talk about her new single, the accompanying music video, and how she refuses to let people shame her, for both her body and why she expresses herself creatively.


MTV News: Can you explain the creative method of creating “Last Hurrah?” What was the meaning beyond the song?


Bebe Rexha: It’s about vices and bad habits; it was originally written about chocolate cake. None of us are brilliant and we all have something that we can’t shake off; whether that be a certain  food, smoking cigarettes or drinking, we all have vices. There's a level of sarcasm to the song: [it’s about] not taking yourself seriously and not judging yourself. It's essentially about, don't judge other people or think that they are better than you because we all have our vices.


MTV News: Where did the concept for the music video come from?


Bebe Rexha: I wanted to do a video about raw human nature. People have their crazy moments and everybody has their stories. I feel like everybody [has done] something bad in their life whether that’s drinking or whichever that may be — cheating, going back to your ex lover [or] going to the incorrect person.


Someone saw my video and was like, “You should cover those stretch marks [that appear in one scene].” And I was like, we’re not covering those stretch marks, absolutely not. It’s about acceptance of everything.


MTV News: A couple weeks prior, you reignited a decades-old conversation about size inclusivity in style with a video on your Instagram page saying that some designers didn’t desire to dress you for the Grammy Awards. What was the answer like from the style community right following the post went up?


Bebe Rexha: It was 50/50. I had a lot of designers who are more inclusive reach out, and the younger generation, who I think will grow and be better with accepting all sizes of woman, showed me support. The week leading up [to the Grammys], I had so much love. Jeremy Scott and August Getty sent me stuff. Karl Lagerfeld sent me pieces from his latest collections, and that was really special to me. Christian Siriano and Michael Costello hit me up. The passion was very real and right now I know who has my back.


MTV News: Did you have any reservations about posting the video?


Bebe Rexha: Yeah, for sure. I had a conversation with somebody and yes it really irritated me. I was actually in the studio that day and I couldn’t focus because I was so furious, so I made the video, butI determined not to post it because I was scared it would have backlash. However If I woke up the next day, I still felt really bummed about this and was like, “I have to post this video.” I’ve been sent things [before] and none of it fit, which was annoying.


MTV News: What has your experience been like as soon as looking for outfits for red carpet appearances — do you get the same group kind of feedback from designers?


Bebe Rexha: I work with people who certainly know how to work with my body. And I wear springy things and corsets because I have curves. In general, I have pretty strong team and so they know that I know my body and wish to dress a certain way. Some days I get a couple of things in and so they don’t fit. It’s very discouraging nevertheless I feel like everybody goes through that — once you go to the store and you’re excited, yet you try on everything and nothing looks good. I feel like that’s just life.


I’m very blessed to do what I love, although I’m still human and I still go through what usual ladies go through. It’s an everyday battle of loving your body loving yourself and also you should constantly be positive with yourself, yet it does suck any time once you've got to go on a red carpet and also you can’t find anything to fit you or you feel bloated.


MTV News: How did you approach working with Monsoori, who created the gown you ended up wearing to the Grammys?


Bebe Rexha: I saw my dress on Instagram, and  I was like, “oh my God.” Monsoori is amazing; the dress arrived from the Middle East and I was really nervous because it had traveled all that way. Before I tried it on, I was so nervous because I wanted to have this moment of feeling like a princess because I never typically dresses like that. I generally wear things more form-fitting. Any time Once I put it on, I was like, “This is my dress.” I felt in love with it immediately.


MTV News: Who are some of your preference designers you’ve worked with —  for either red carpet appearances or just to wear in your everyday life?


Bebe Rexha: The person I’ve really connected to the most and never judged me is Jeremy Scott. He has an extraordinary spirit and makes you feel like you’re special. Even from the starting, he asked me to [his] style shows. There could be tons of people waiting in line to meet with him and he would meet with everybody. Even to this day, I can hit him up. He has options and sizes for me. He’s such an awesome person. It’s so cool to meet someone who’s had such big success and is still creative and isn't pretentious and inclusive. I’ve met designers who aren’t very nice and I feel like no matter who you are, [I believe in] that saying, “It’s nice to be critical however it’s more crucial to be nice.”


MTV News: Is there any advice would you give to your fans who are struggling to find peace in their bodies?  


Bebe Rexha: I have moments of doing it and not doing it, nevertheless I think the one thing that works well for me  is taking care of yourself. I hate exercising — it’s the worst thing ever — but If I do physical activity, I find myself loving my body more.


Just take good care of yourself in whichever way that works: [going to] a therapist, talking to someone, meditating, or being with companions. I’ve learned that we mention a lot of mean things to ourselves, especially as soon as we look at ourselves in the reflect. I do it all of the time also. However you should to begin saying positive things to yourself.


Somebody actually sat down with me and so they were like, “Name five things you don’t like about yourself,” and I was like this, this, and, this. And then they were like, “Name five things that you love about yourself,” and that took me a second. Yet you can’t be so hard on yourself. People make it seem like self-love is so easy, nevertheless self-love is a constant journey.