Dancing Queen

“recently I released a Music Video to accompany my cover of Abba’s infamous song, Dancing Queen.

A producer I work with, Jynjo, had just got new vocoder software and asked if I wanted to come over and test it out - and I am always down to jam. I just started singing the melody from the beginning of "Dancing Queen". Three days later we had recorded and produced this song.

The concept of the video came a few months after recording, as the words of the song resonated with me in a new way. 2019 was a year of major healing for me, and it was the first time I really explored self-compassion. Upon reflection, I started to see the video… What if: Instead of hyping up my friend, I was hyping up myself? I looked at my reflection in the mirror and decided to play and dance? And in the words of one of my favorite artists, Robyn — What if dancing on my own was enough? I wanted my joy in the video to look as effortless and natural as it was to create the song. 

I decided to translate my experience from two years of self love and discovery into a four-minute video. My lack of self-compassion was often related to rejection, and feeling as though I wasn’t enough — hence the intro of the video at the bar. I know all-too-well these scenes: Lonely walks home, solo Uber rides I thought I'd be splitting, the odd silence after dropping my keys in the bowl upon arriving home.  But I started to find comfort in the little things I did for myself to fill that silence. Taking my makeup off after a night out, making a comforting cup of tea, indulging in that horrible — but delicious — ramen at 2 a.m. And what I've discovered I love the most recently: A solo bedroom dance party! These are the things that began my journey into loving and taking care of myself. The end of the video shows me getting up from my own bed and turning out my own light. That's my end goal: To feel like I can finally take care of myself.

This new cover is almost a re-awakening in terms of my music — it's a new sound and one I'm definitely sticking with. I’m working on a full length album, each track inspired by a woman in my life and I wanted to start by reflecting on the first and last one I’ll ever be inspired by: Me. My interpretation of this song in particular is just a re-discovering of how wonderful and comforting it can be to spend time with yourself.

I think the video is the perfect representation of this. I’ve found the times in which I crave my own touch the most is after being rejected by someone else. But, I hope this song and my perspective can encourage womxn to always take care of themselves. Whether we are or are not receiving love from others. It is a necessity we find that love from within ourselves first. We’re all we have at the end of the day, so why not celebrate and cherish that?

If anything, I hope this video encourages people to get curious about hanging out with themselves. I want my audience to feel the joy in craving their own touch, their own smile, their own mind. It can be so magical to be alone sometimes.”

Grace Kay is an indie singer and songwriter residing in Los Angeles. You can follow her on instagram here and Spotify.