Bella Thorne's 'Shake It' Video Wasn't Meant to Be Controversial: 'It Was About Having Fun'
Bella Thorne didn't mean to break the internet — again.
Earlier this week, the singer's music video for her latest song "Shake It," which features provocative scenes between Thorne and adult film star Abella Danger, was taken down by YouTube in the early hours of its premiere due to its "explicit content."
Though the video became available again shortly after it was taken down, the Infamous star still had some thoughts on the double standards of "censorship" for women.
"There are so many explicit things [on YouTube] and those videos are still up and they don't get taken down — there's nothing that explicit in this video," Thorne tells PEOPLE. "It's because me and Abella; it's girl-on-girl. Is there a world where it's me and a man and it doesn't get taken down? Because that, I think, is very possible."
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When the "Lonely" singer discovered her latest project — which she also directed — had been removed, she took to Instagram to express her frustration.
"Hey @youtube - why'd you take down my video for Shake It? Is it because I'm having fun with @dangershewrote? Male artists always have women shaking ass in videos... why can't we?" Thorne wrote. "Censorship against women needs to end!!! I'll never stop fighting against this bull%h*t. Stay tuned. Also Congrats guys, you broke YouTube! ????"
The platform apparently crashed not once, but twice due to the overwhelming number of requests from avid fans trying to watch the video, since its release Monday evening.
"Shake It" currently has over half a million views and counting at press time.
"I love my fans. They come through for me every time. I have so many diehards," the Chick Fight star tells PEOPLE. "When I see all these videos to everyone dancing on TikTok and Twitter, and they look happy, smile on their face. It's just like, 'Perfect. That's exactly what I wanted the song to do. I wanted it to make you smile and relax for a little bit.'"
Bella Thorne Instagram
When it came to writing the song, Thorne wanted to take a break from the more solemn songs she had been working on and decided "Shake It" should be a track that represents somewhat of an escape.
"I was with my best friend and my sister and we wanted to have a good time. The other songs I was recording that week were definitely more serious. So we were like, 'That's it today, I'm done crying in the studio. Today, we do a different song,'" Thorne said. "It was all about having fun and making a song that I would want to listen to and feel like a bad bitch listening to."
The actress brought the same philosophy when it came to shooting the accompanying music video.
"I wanted to make sure that we had fun filming it, because I'm also directing. It was so important that the video represents what the song represents, which is fun," the singer said.
Bella Thorne/YouTube Bella Thorne
Though she got her start in acting, most notably on Disney's hit show Shake It Up alongside Zendaya, the Assassination Nation actress is hoping to continue carving her own path in music, as well as writing and directing. The singer also recently wrapped up filming Time Is Up, an Italian teen romance also starring her boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo.
The next month will be a big one for Thorne, as she looks forward to releasing a TV show, two songs and two music videos.
"Music is such a focus and really getting to show my art, getting really having this outlet. I think it's going to make me feel better mentally and physically," Thorne tells PEOPLE. "It's going to make me feel like I can speak; like I don't have tape over my mouth."
She added, "That's going to help me in a lot of other lanes in my life — feeling better about just that in general."
