For the first time in history, songwriter Paul Shaffer’s 1982 high energy dance hit It’s Raining Men, originally performed by The Weather Girls and later by Geri Halliwell in 2001, has been reworked into an inclusive, gender-neutral LGBTQ+ instant classic cover version by New York City pop singer and “artivist” Mila Jam in support and celebration of trans and non-binary folks.
Mila Jam, whose recent singles include Eye On You, Number One, and The Last Time, has toured internationally with the Broadway musical Rent and performed alongside James Brown, Mark Ronson, Natasha Bedingfield, and her friend Laverne Cox.
Following Jam’s last single, Fierce, a collaboration with Pose star Anjelica Ross and DJ Ultra Naté, Jam’s 2021 makeover of It’s Raining Men, which was released exclusively on streaming service Deezer on Friday August 20th, sees the track retitled It’s Raining Them. Some fo the alternative lyrics in the new version include “Tall, blonde, dark and lean / Rough and tough and strong and mean” becoming “Cool, bold, strong and keen / Proud and loud and here and seen.”
“It’s an honor to perform It’s Raining Them”, shares the singer, “for all artists in the LGBTQ+ community, I believe the future is ours, it’s our time, and it’s our moment to tell our story and shine. We haven’t always had this position so I think it’s important that we make some good out of it. I really hope this track can help more people feel included. The future is here, it’s queer, and ready to dance.”
To ensure the new lyrics were inclusive, Deezer worked closely with Gendered Intelligence, a charity that raises awareness of gender diversity and aims to improve trans people’s quality of life.
“Gendered Intelligence is overjoyed to be working with Deezer and Mila Jam on It’s Raining Them”, Annie Brown from Gendered Intelligence commented. “In a world where non-binary and trans people have not been centrered—including within LGBTQ+ communities and movements—it is a fun way to bring non-binary and trans people to the forefront in pop culture, especially through an anthem that has been culturally significant to queer communities. Though rewriting a song can’t rewrite history, we are excited for the journey this track takes in giving non-binary and trans people a platform to be celebrated and empowered in clubs, at Pride, and in people’s homes. We are grateful that profits from this song will be directed back into the community it is about. We hope the trans youth and communities this song helps to fund support for will be playing it loud and proud.”
It’s Raining Them is currently a flagship track on Deezer’s Queer Culture channel, launched earlier this year, which spotlights LGBTQ+ artists with playlists, podcast recommendations, and live recorded sessions, while Jam has curated her own playlist dedicated to trans and non-binary artists.
Watch the official video, which has already racked up over 50,000 views here:
“Trans and non-binary people have been marginalised throughout history, including within the LGBTQ+ movements”, says Nigel Harding, VP of Artist Relations at Deezer. “We want to do our part by giving the community a voice and a platform to be heard. We’re proud to support amazing artists and activists like Mila Jam.”
Mila Jam’s It’s Raining Them is available exclusively on Deezer. 100% of the streaming service’s revenue from the track will be donated to Gendered Intelligence.
By James Kleinmann
Leave a Reply