Words by: Amanda Marano

LA-based experimental post-punk artist CROWJANE is now premiering the new video for her show-stopping and unnerving cover of James Brown’s “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” which she shortened to “It’s A Man’s World.” She echoes the gruffness of the original, but amplifies its urgency with her aching vocals in a painful but honest interpretation of the classic song — absorbing the inherent chauvinism and inverts it.

The video is surreal and stylish, in CROWJANE’s signature haunting noir and bold, startling visuals. Dark and twisted, it is clear how her visual art background as a professional horror effects makeup artist influences her craft.

Speaking on the track, she shared, “When I was recording the album, I was debating on doing a cover song. Cover songs can be fun, but it doesn’t necessarily attract me. I thought about different covers that I love and felt inspired by. Meanwhile, most of my decision-making while recording this album was fueled by my frustrations with the way my life was going, my experiences with sexism, sexual assault, and broken relationships. ‘It’s a Man’s World’ came to me because I love how The Residents covered it and lyrically, it seemed fitting for everything I was trying to express, even though this song was sung by a man that was accused of assault and sexual harassment. For me, that doesn’t take away the meaning of the words, especially if and when it is coming from a femme perspective or someone that has felt oppression/discrimination. Also, I came to find in research that this song was written in partnership and possibly entirely by Betty Jean Newsome who wrote the lyrics based on her own observations of the relations between the sexes.”

The track was the perfect closer for her recently released debut album MATER DOLOROSA via Kitten Robot Records.  The compilation is a mixed contemporary production with a DIY aesthetic, exploring sound textures and special effects to create the unearthly soundscapes that encapsulate her haunting vocals. “Mater Dolorosa was an experimental adventure of messing with different sounds and homemade instruments,” she explains the unconventional instrumentation that included tin cans, bed railings and even cat litter. With Mater Dolorosa, CROWJANE created an otherworldly, yet deeply personal project that establishes her as an artist to watch.

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