Glitzy Von Jagger celebrates gender fluidity and sex positivity with their ZZ Top cover: “Sharp Dressed Them”
Okay, okay, okay. This is totally outside normal programming (and my comfort zone), but I just couldn’t resist. I suppose if you post-rationalize, this track does make sense on paper in some ways. I grew up with ZZ Top’s hit single “Sharp Dressed Man.” Great track. My parents were also massively into disco. I didn’t grow up in the 70s, but I was a disco kid. So when I saw this disco cover version of “Sharp Dressed Man” by Darren James Day (aka Glitzy Von Jagger), I was intrigued.
On one hand, covers can (and most of the time do) go fantastically wrong. Especially when it’s of a very well-known track. Then fold in some seriously intimidating but fabulous drag and I wouldn’t have imagined myself grooving to this track as much as I did. And let’s be honest… it’s cheesy. I didn’t want to like this track, but there’s no debating it, I can’t get enough.
Glitzy Von Jagger somehow blends glam rock with disco in a dancefloor showstopper. But it’s not just that. Glitzy’s reimagining of ZZTop’s “Sharp Dressed Man” celebrates gender fluidity and sex positivity, which makes it more than just a gender queer dancefloor anthem.
“I loved the original song’s vibe, energy, and production but I couldn’t relate to the lyrics or pronouns,” explains Glitzy when talking about the cover.
“It took me out of the narrative. Putting ZZ Top’s masterpiece through a Queer lens felt very punk somehow. Taking that masculine power from the original and reclaiming it as a non-binary bop and somewhat healing my inner child in the process.”
“Perhaps I’m singing about one of the ZZTop boys too,” continues Glitzy. “Billy’s always had my heart, and we know he loves legs. To get permission from the band themselves to cover the song was such a stamp of approval. Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters who is an influence loved the track also. I’ve been loving it being on peoples workout, driving, summer, fave songs. Music has been my life always, it feels like giving birth to my highest vibration as an artist.”
As seen in their music video, Glitzy is an advocate for their fellow neurospicy’s, giving ADHD a revamp in the process — Audacious, Driven and Hypercreative by Design. Glitzy invites you to the dancefloor to share in joy, expression and to celebrate our individual uniqueness. Membership into Glitzy’s ‘Glitterati’ comes with one simple rule, ‘Be kind to yourself and each other.’
Now… let’s dance!
