Boy Jr. Turns a Social Media Dig Into a Queer Anthem on "Zitty Stardust"
Boy Jr. is a pivotal voice in the LGBTQ+ community who took an online comment making fun of their skin's side effects to testosterone and reclaimed it by flipping the script. Their new single, "Zitty Stardust", has an origin story that begins with an internet dig. Boy Jr. confides, "Like sorry, I know you really wanted to insult me, but that's actually really iconic and cool. A while later, I started working on this song about the gender euphoria I was feeling, using my testosterone supplies to help create the percussion part. When I remembered that "Zitty Stardust" comment, I knew it had to be the title for this song." Euphoria is just the tip of the iceberg for this intensely colorful, serendipitously transformative queer anthem.
"Zitty Stardust" combusts over hyper-saturated, electro-pop beats, sparkling synths that leave an effervescence in your head, and ecstatic vocals that reclaim their own voice through music. Boy Jr. sings, "You deserve to wake up in a body that is yours / You deserve to get dressed never feeling like a chore." The lyrics of the single draw upon advice Boy Jr. got from their mother as a kid and lean into reconnecting with their childlike spirit in order to bring themselves home to their body.
Paired with a hypnotic music video to match, the visuals for "Zitty Stardust" lean into the themes of metamorphosis at play. Boy Jr. navigates a realm of psychedelic colors and experimental patterns that celebrate the ecstacy of feeling free in their body. Taking on the character of Zitty Stardust, Boy Jr. adorns their face with red jewels to mimic the effect of the acne that started it all.
Boy Jr. is the solo project of Ariel Allen-Lubman, known for their recent album I Love Getting Dumped! Not only is Boy Jr. an affirmative voice for the queer community in music, but also in their advocacy on social media. "Zitty Stardust" is the latest chapter in their evolution as an artist, further demonstrating why their identity will always be a cornerstone of the art they produce.
