In cinema tropes and pop culture, a manic pixie dream girl is the cliche of a dreamy, troubled girl, often whose sole plot purpose is to inspire a man.
Artist Lady Charles takes this archetype and aims to put a gender-fluid, empowering spin on it with their new single, Manic Pixie Dream Boy.
According to the artist themselves, the song was inspired by not only Bowie, but also the rock and roll ethos itself.
“I always felt that rock music lends itself to androgyny because at its core I think rock music is a genre that cuts across identities and unites people. It doesn’t matter one’s sexuality, gender, race, ethnicity, class, or age – if you feel it then you are rock and roll.”
With an accompanying music video, Lady Charles says the track is about being confident and living for yourself, regardless of what others think.
“When I began working on Manic Pixie Dream Boy something clicked. I found myself drawing from Hip Hop punchlines and weirdo indie rock, dropping the hyper-serious statement writing I once felt I had to do to get respect in music.
“From that point onward, the process of writing lyrics on the record became a joy – I was able to finally translate my sense of humor into the lyrics and I think it’s evident in songs like Manic Pixie Dream Boy.
They released their self-titled debut EP in 2022, blending elements of folk, indie rock, and electronica with themes of gender, apocalypse, and loss.
Their 2022 singles Godx, Noella (Can’t Get Enough Of You), and Flower Boy brought their sound and image to a wider audience, racking up thousands of listens and views.
Manic Pixie Dream Boy is out now.
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