Anna Wise – “BitchSlut” (Stereogum Premiere)
The move to morph gendered insults like “bitch” and “slut” into words of empowerment is an ongoing debate in the feminist community, and Anna Wise’s new single plays into that conversation and comes out as a powerful reclamation of identity. “BitchSlut” takes the form of a laundry list of demeaning and reductive stereotypes and gives them the finger at every corner: “Walking down the street with my hands tied/ ‘Cus I wore a skirt, you think I’m down to ride/ You think I want to fuck because I comb my hair, because I’m at the bar next to an open chair,” Wise rap-sings over a heady beat punctuated by some Dirty Projectors-style vocal gasps, exuding confidence and swagger. At this point, Wise is best known for her vocal contributions to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly and untitled unmastered. (which she won a Grammy for), but she’ll release her debut EP later this year, and “BitchSlut” is reason to get excited that she’ll be stepping directly into the spotlight. The video comes attached to a self-directed, home-recorded video shot by Patti Miller. Listen and watch below.
Wise’s debut EP is due out later this year. Another single, “Precious Possession,” is out now on iTunes. You can also buy or stream “BitchSlut” now.