Corinne Bailey Rae pays homage to Audrey Smaltz in her newest single ‘New York Transit Queen’

Corinne Bailey Rae’s powerful new single and music video titled ‘New York Transit Queen’ draws on inspiration from an archival photo of Audrey Smaltz, the winner of Miss New York Transit pageant.

Corinne’s vocals soar with passion and intensity, infusing the production of the song through meticulously crafted gritty guitar riffs and punchy drums, driving the infectious rhythm. The instrumentals create a powerful backdrop for Corinne’s vocals, perfectly complementing the fierce and empowering nature of the track.

The inspiration behind the track comes from Audrey Smaltz’s captivating presence in the archival photo. Corinne takes that spirit and transforms it into a rallying cry for female empowerment. The song breaks free from traditional gender roles, reimagining the 1950s photographs of femininity as powerful, tough, and outside the male gaze. Corinne’s ability to infuse these elements into her music showcases her versatility and artistic vision.

“Audrey Smaltz’s song became a riot grrrl punk song because she has this playful, hellraiser look in her eye”, Corinne Bailey Rae says about the inspiration of the song. “The sexy or domestic 1950’s photographs would be reimagined as powerful/tough/sexy/outside-of-the-male-gaze flyers for all girl band nights.”

‘New York Transit Queen’ is a glimpse into Corinne’s upcoming album, which is set to be released in September.

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