We didn't think Dorian Electra — our favorite queer pop singer and video director — could possibly outdo their unforgettable anthem for the infinite powers of lady pleasure, Ode To The Clitoris (though we're certainly still playing 2000 Years Of Drag and The Dark History Of High Heels on repeat, as well). That is, until we watched their most recent musical collab, Control. A cheeky homage to intersectional feminism, Control exposes the often-overlooked histories of the reproductive rights struggle — those quietly harrowing stories never taught alongside the invention of birth control or Roe V. Wade. Unsurprisingly, these forgotten narratives focus overwhelmingly on the continued marginalization of people of color and trans and immigrant communities. Press play above if you're ready to learn what the textbooks never told you.
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And if you just can't get that beat out of your head, scroll down to meet Dorian's cast of badass, boundary-breaking collaborators. We're sorry/not sorry that you'll be humming their groundbreaking song for the foreseeable future.
If you know anything about Dorian's roster of impossibly catchy songs exploring the history of sexuality and gender, it won't be a surprise that their Control character is a frighteningly familiar blast from the past. Featured in the video's podium-slapping political rally, they embody the first major anti-abortion movement in the United States. It's probably no shock that this 19th-century assault on women's bodily autonomy began soon after the rise of the Suffragettes and amid growing pressure from the male-dominated medical industry to push out midwives. Unfortunately, it really is true that some things just never change.
NYC-based artist Chynna isn't afraid to rap about the disturbing truths of American history. In Control, she exposes the dark, and rarely discussed, legacy of eugenics in the United States — racialized sterilization programs used to further silence victims typically in mental institutions or prison. Never heard of this astonishing story? As Chynna says, "Google it."
When she's not singing, writing music, or rapping, K Rizz slings some serious real talk about the anti-immigration sentiment that haunted new American émigrés during the late 19th century. And if politicians who spark white fears about foreign cultural influence sound tragically familiar, you're certainly not alone — especially since, in the 1800s, the anti-abortion movement joined forces with racist political initiatives to encourage white women to have more babies. We're not sure about you, but this is definitely giving us some deeply troubling déja vu...
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In Control, Chicago-based rapper and model London Jade embodies the rich history of gender non-conformity, which began way before Christianity and can be traced to ancient cultures across the globe. Is it just us, or do London's addictive lyrics make you want to take another look at that world history textbook?
Jamaican artist Zuri Marley isn't afraid to bite the apple. In Control, she transforms into an unapologetic Eve, pushing back against the long-standing cultural narrative that femininity cannot be trusted — and that men must dominate women by regulating reproductive power through marriage, sex, and family structures. We're certainly feeling ready to take rebelliously juicy bite.