Queen of Jeans | photo by Jessica Lim | courtesy of the artist
On “U R My Guy,” Queen of Jeans flip the script on pop songwriting from sexism to empowerment
Retro rocker quartet Queen of Jeans are best known for their dreamy, 60’s girl group-esque pop sound — which, for the band, can be a source of both inspiration and frustration. Sure, the sounds of the 60’s are great, but the messages of the era can seem kinda problematic in the year 2018. Queen of Jeans, understandably, doesn’t want to fall under any “girl group” generalizations — they’ve resisted the label before, instead choosing to call themselves “crockpot pop,” but on their new song “U R My Guy,” they take it to a new level.
The second single from their forthcoming debut LP Dig Yourself (the band released a self-titled EP in 2016), “U R My Guy” is upbeat and jazzy with a steady dose of the band’s signature shimmery harmonies — but underneath all that, its a cutting satirical critique of the girl group stereotype, taking all of the genre’s melodrama to a new level to get the point across. Listen close to the lyrics and you’ll see why.
The band wrote in a statement:
“We wrote this song as satire about those 60s girl groups that, while we are certainly influenced by musically, are often very problematic in their messages towards women. We wanted to flip the script and write a song in that genre that empowers women instead.”
Listen below. Dig Yourself is out March 30 via Topshelf Records, and Queen of Jeans celebrates with a hometown release show at Underground Arts on March 31 with Katie Ellen and Harmony Woods. Find tickets and more information on the XPN Concert Calendar.