Eurovision star Jeangu Macrooy has just shared new track Independent Girls and Nasty Evil Gays.
The track features on his forthcoming album Young, Awkward & Lonely, and he’s poking a lot of fun at conservative politicians.
It’s described as a satirical protest song against sexism and queerphobia that uses humor and anger to dissect the patriarchy: danceable resistance against scared little men with fragile egos. It’s a fun, catchy bop with an important message.
“It’s a funny, sarcastic protest anthem for the girls and the gays” says Jeangu. “I wrote it from the perspective of people who blame feminism and queerness for everything that’s “wrong” in the world – just to highlight how ridiculous and outdated that mindset really is.”
While working on his upcoming album Jeangu realized that whilst he’s written protest songs in the past he’d never written one that directly addresses queer rights.
“The time feels right. The world’s grown increasingly hostile towards LGBTQ+ people, and the rights we’ve fought so hard for are being challenged in real and terrifying ways. The song is also feminist, because women’s rights are under attack too. It felt urgent, it felt necessary and it felt like the right moment to make some noise.”
“I want queer people to feel empowered to live even louder”, he continues. “In the face of hate, we shouldn’t shrink ourselves. We deserve nothing less than full freedom to be our authentic selves – without apology, without compromise. I hope this song also inspires allies to speak up, show up, and join the fight for equality. Because silence is not neutral.”
Stepping into characters that are the total opposite of who he is, Jeangu takes on caricatures of right-wing figures who blame queers for everything; from the weather to the economy.
“It’s a very tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top satire, and we leaned all the way in” says Jeangu. “It’s camp, it’s chaos, and it’s got a message.”
The new tune is available now for all you independent girls and nasty evil gays.
If you’re a Eurovision fan, the name Jeangu Macrooy may already be familiar to you. Jeangu was the Netherlands’ entry for the Eurovision Song Contest with his song Grow when they were due to host in 2020, but the pandemic ensured its cancellation.
Nevertheless, the track gained widespread editorial playlisting, landing in Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist in twelve countries, while premiering on Dutch national television and racking up millions of streams.
He returned to Eurovision in 2021 to represent the Netherlands with his politically-charged entry Birth Of A New Age written as a response to the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement.
Born and raised in the South American country of Suriname, Jeangu’s journey began at the age of 13 when his parents gifted him a guitar, and he formed a duo with his brother Xillan.
After moving to The Netherland he landed a record deal and so far has found success with three albums of material. He’s also got an acting career and has starred in several musicals, including Jesus Christ Superstar.
