Many Filipino fans criticize Doja Cat for giving her newest song a title after a well-known Filipino street food.
The song, called "Balut," was dropped on September 15, and upon the release of the track, Doja explained her decision, which left many confused.
In an Instagram post, Doja Cat explained, "I named the song 'Balut' because it signifies a bird being eaten alive."
"It's a metaphor for Twitter stans (obsessive fans) and the death of Twitter toxicity. The beginning of 'X' and the end of 'tweets.'"
In response to her metaphor, many Filipinos were quick to point out that balut requires a fertilized duck egg between 14 and 21 days old instead of an actual live bird.
Not only did they take issue with the inaccuracy of the reference, some felt it was culturally insensitive.
"Is that what you heard? That we're eating balut alive?" queried a user on X. "That's not how it works - my culture something to be judged without proper knowledge."
A tweet aimed at correcting the misconception about balut, which was met with the overwhelming support of almost 100,000 likes and various comments in Filipino and English, conveyed a message of sadness with a crying emoji.
The tweet read: "Let's not forget that a balut is a fertilized duck egg."
In Southeast Asia, balut is a dish that can be met with love and opposition.
To some Westerners, it may appear as an oddity featured on travel and food shows, being tested by those who are unaccustomed to the flavor.
Unfortunately, this type of coverage often brushes over Filipinos' pride in the dish, so much so that balut can be seen as a national delicacy.
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Doja Cat's take on the dish's description was not well-received, but her reaction to tasting it was more agreeable to her Filipino admirers.
"Balut was good. It reminded me of the liver. It was almost like you could tell it's a small [serving] high [in] fat. I can taste the vitamins in it. You know that [it is] good for you immediately," Doja Cat recounted on Instagram Live after explaining the song title.
"I liked it. [But] I don't think I had it properly. It was still warm," she added.
On Friday, September 22, Doja Cat will release her fourth studio album, "Scarlet," featuring a song on its track list.
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