Ms. Donna Sommer passed away last week from cancer, and it made us a little bit sad.
Beautiful, bold, and so smart, Donna always seemed to stand alone amongst the divas of the 1970's. She was not a wispy model, no gamine girl, or even a reinvention of an R&B act for the feminist age (sorry, Patti LaBelle, although are the bomb).
Summer was undeniably a fully grown woman, her songs and performances demonstrating a woman keenly in touch with her sexuality and femininity, while thoughtful of the emotional consequences, and realistic when describing the mundane details of the day to day.
Unlike other disco queens of her day, Summer's hits grew past the respectably pleasurable impulse to just dance. Her voice required you to fall into the beat and celebrate.
She is an undeniable influence on any female artist who rides that fine line of the everyday 'realness' (thank you Paris is Burning)seen in "She Works Hard for the Money," and the unexpectedly confident and joyful sexuality shown on "Love to Love You Baby."
So soulful and tart, Sommer always sang with conviction and abandon. She was a Christian girl from Boston, whose divine voice spanned genres, crossed racial and cultural barriers, and inspired straight- up ass-shaking all over the globe.
Are you having a bad day? Life is too often full-throttle pitching machine of self-esteem puncturing fastballs. Perhaps you are feeling a little out of sorts and should remember how lovely you are.
Instant cure:
-dark room (or awesome non-threatening strobe-y dance floor)
-cute new dress/favorite go-to 'hot' little number
-Some Donna Summer realness (sorry the above version is a little lacking)
xoxo-Shopgirl A