Okay Kaya Dance like U (2018)
Shame is universal, especially for women, who often grow up feeling ashamed of their bodies, their desires, their needs. Feminist theorists like Silvia Federici have examined the control over female sexuality and shown how shame is a powerful tool of female oppression. In her influential book Caliban and the Witch (2004), she analyzes how witch hunts historically suppressed female autonomy and sexuality, using shame to control women—a tactic that persists under patriarchy to this day. So, how do we get out of this mess?
Okay Kaya’s neosoul song “Dance Like U” offers a bold response. With overwhelming tenderness, the Norwegian musician asks: “Do you dance like you fuck?” Her slow and gentle delivery turns the question into a vulnerable inquiry. Okay Kaya shows how you can make songs about pleasure and sex without falling into sexist clichés or offensive stereotypes. In an interview, she describes her creative process as a liberation from shame: “I think from my early 20s until now I have been trying to rid myself of shame and it comes out in this really explicit way. I don’t want to be shameful anymore.”
In a world that teaches women to feel ashamed of their needs and desires, “Dance Like U” stands as a (very seductive) act of resistance.
Start the conversation
Become a paid member of The Rest to gain access to the comments section.