Philippe Katerine and Lomepal kick off 88 % with a tongue-in-cheek “statistic”: 88 % of men are gay. Of course, the number is absurd, and that is exactly the point. Using playful repetition, sarcasm, and a bragging macho narrator, the song pokes fun at how society clings to labels and how many people hide behind a straight façade. As the lyrics swing between swagger and anxiety, the narrator admits he would “rather die than sleep with a man” because he is terrified he might actually like it. The exaggeration turns the spotlight on the fear, shame, and denial that often fuel homophobia.
By the second verse, the mask slips: the narrator confesses that his attraction might be more fluid than he wants to admit. He jumps from “100 % hetero” to “100 % homo,” showing how identities can shift and overlap. The track argues that those who are quickest to ridicule queer people may be wrestling with their own desires, much like “someone who mocks the rich secretly wants to be rich.” In other words, the real issue is not sexuality itself but the pressure to fit into a rigid mold. Through humor and irony, 88 % invites listeners to question stereotypes, embrace self-acceptance, and laugh at the silly math we use to deny who we really are.