KAYE’s ‘Cheshire Kitten’ Is a Curiouser and Curiouser Feminist Pop Manifesto: Premiere
Indie pop powerhouse KAYE tumbles down the rabbit hole of gender and cultural expectations on "Cheshire Kitten," a feminist future-funk anthem as eccentric as a Lewis Carroll character and as catchy as Chaka Khan.
"What’s got you stumped, baby? Cat got your tongue? / Do I not fit in your mess? / Is it the way I maniacally grin? / Ain't nowhere I seem to fit / My form, my freak, my flag," KAYE coos over a splashy soundbed of guitar-driven '60s girl group grooves.
The Honolulu-born, Brooklyn-based artist's soothing delivery creates a captivating dichotomy between her soulful, honeyed vocals and fiercely empowering lyrics: "You ain’t got my number babe / Work so hard at pulling me down / But you might as well try pulling down the wind," she affirms on the powerful, percussive jam, which ends with a punchy quote from Alice in Wonderland.
"Women in the entertainment industry are often put in boxes and there’s an urge from the media to categorize us as only one thing, so the song celebrates the fact that we are versatile creatures who can be lots of contradictory things at once," KAYE shares of her song's mission statement.
"We can be technically capable and sexual, aggressive and soft, breadwinners and maternal figures—and I wanted the song and dance to reflect that," she adds.
Listen below:
Pop Songs About Women's Self Love: