A Green Bay radio station cranked up efforts to defend its beloved football team over the past few weeks by bleeping out the name of its Minnesota rival in a popular song.
Before airing "Truth Hurts," a bouncy tune by Minneapolis-molded singer and rapper Lizzo, Green Bay's WIXX edited the song so that instrumentals masked the words "Minnesota Vikings."
"Saying them on the Packers' flagship station just felt a little wrong," said Otis Day, WIXX's music director.
In the song's chorus — three times in all — Lizzo belts: "Fresh photos with the bomb lighting / New man on the Minnesota Vikings."
Though she was born in Houston and raised in Detroit, the singer launched her career in Minneapolis before moving to Los Angeles in 2016 after signing with Atlantic Records. Day said WIXX got permission from the label to tweak the song before playing it on the station, which airs Packers games and features regular interviews with the team's coach.
"I think they were a little confused," he said with a laugh. "I don't know if they understood, really, the power of football in Green Bay."
Lizzo's song, all about self-affirmation in the wake of a breakup, skyrocketed up the charts this year despite being released in 2017. Day said as the tune gained popularity, he knew listeners would be interested in hearing it — it just needed a few "improvements" first.
The Wisconsin native and born-and-raised Packers fan said he thinks Minneapolis-based radio station KDWB would have done the same had the situation been reversed. The contingent of Vikings fans in Green Bay will just have to hope for vindication at the NFL rivals' first matchup in September at Lambeau Field, he added.
"We should get Lizzo to sing the national anthem," Day joked.
Katie Galioto • 612-673-4478
