Provo • The BYU Cougarettes did not make their usual performance during Saturday’s football game against Southern Utah due to a song choice in their routine last week.
BYU’s dance team performed a routine to the song “Plain Jane” by the artist A$AP Ferg. It features a sampled beat and some lyrics from a song by Tear da Club Up Thugs and Three 6 Mafia.
The song’s chorus was omitted from the dancers’ performance, but BYU still received multiple complaints about the song choice; the censored lyrics and the sample’s title make a slang reference to a sexual act, a BYU Athletics official said. The complaints caused the administration to review the process of how the Cougarettes’ songs were selected.
BYU’s athletic department on Friday decided it would sideline the dance team for Saturday’s game.
The decision to sideline the Cougarettes drew public criticism. Former BYU football player Houston Heimuli expressed displeasure over the complaints about the song selection.
“Found out the cougarettes can’t perform their timeout numbers this weekend cuz a couple people complained about the music choice,” he wrote on Twitter. “Way to ruin it for the majority”.
BYU athletics director Tom Holmoe indicated the dance team will return later this season.
“I’ll take the blame on this one,” Holmoe said on Twitter. “Poor communication on my part for this week’s game entertainment. Cougarettes are amazing student athletes and you’ll see ‘em performing again soon — better than ever.”
Correction: The BYU dance team performed a routine to the song “Plain Jane” by the artist A$AP Ferg, which features a sampled beat and some lyrics from a song by Three 6 Mafia. A previous version of this story contained incorrect information about the song.
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