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By Lydia Patrick
Life & Trends Reporter
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A pop star has claimed to be stuck inside a cryptic prison called the "Khia Asylum"—but what exactly does that mean?
The Khia Asylum is internet slang referring to a fictional holding zone for artists who are in their "flop era"—meaning they are no longer seeing the same level of commercial success or cultural relevance as before.
Singer Bebe Rexha referenced the term on January 10, sharing a meme that shows the Grim Reaper releasing several pop stars—including Tinashe, Tate McRae, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Zara Larsson—through open doors from the asylum. Rexha, however, remains trapped behind a closed door.
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"Guys please help me. It’s so lonely in here," she said. Newsweek reached out to Bebe Rexha's publicists via email.
The joke was broken down by a pop culture commentator in a video shared on TikTok by MuchMusic, who explained that the Khia Asylum refers to artists who once had major hits and time in the limelight before fading from public conversation.
"If you're wondering what the Khia Asylum is, my understanding of it is an artist who came up, had some hits, was in the limelight and then subsequently went into their flop era where there just weren't being talked about as much," the commentator said on TikTok.
According to the explanation, the meme originated from a viral video of rapper Khia—best known for her 2002 hit "My Neck, My Back (Lick It)"—meeting a fan in a Target store. The fan appeared visibly emotional, which sparked online jokes questioning the reaction given Khia’s reputation as a one-hit wonder.
"Essentially, people were like, why is this fan getting so emotional when Khia is considered a one-hit wonder?" the commentator added.
The Khia Asylum joke has since been embraced by artists themselves. Zara Larsson referenced it in an interview with Dazed last year, saying she felt like she had just escaped the Khia Asylum as people began reconnecting with her not just as a musician, but also as a person.
Rexha continued the joke on her X account by sharing a sound bite in which she leaned into the concept.
"Hi babes. It's Bebe here, reporting from the Khia Asylum. It's hard here you guys. I heard Sabrina got out, Zara, Charli, they left, they never looked back and my fat a** flop a** is still in here," she said.
On January 14, Rexha shared another update from "the asylum," captioning a video on X: "DAY 3054/ KHIA ASLYUM."
The clip shows the singer running on a treadmill while wearing extremely high platform heels.
"Babes, I'm here at the Khia asylum, he said I can't stop until I lose 30 pounds cause I'm too fat, or if I have a hit song. I'm dying, help me!" she joked.
Rexha rose to fame in the mid-2010s after first establishing herself as a songwriter, before launching a solo career that produced chart-topping hits such as "Meant to Be," "I’m a Mess," and "In the Name of Love."
In recent years, Rexha has been increasingly candid about the pressures of the music industry, body-image scrutiny, and the difficulty of sustaining mainstream pop success.
Her posts prompted mixed reactions from X users.
"GIRL YOU DO TOO MUCH," posted one user.
"YOU GOT THIS!!!!" said The Notorious J. O. V, a renowned popular culture figure.
"Yes, you are NEXT, my good sis!!! Love you," added Bruno Sigwela.
"Bebe, I love how open you are nowadays. Hopefully your next comeback will be better and one of the best ones," commented Joelyn.
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