SAYGRACE, You Don’t Own Me | COVERS

In the 16^th edition of COVERS (2023), SAYGRACE delivers a compelling rendition of “You Don’t Own Me,” originally performed by Lesley Gore.

AAh, it’s time to get cozy and totally cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS separates itself from a related column, Head 2 Head 🗣️ only highlighting the musician who covers, as opposed to the original/most famous performer. COVERS is open to both established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the 16^th edition of COVERS (2023), 🎙 SAYGRACE delivers a compelling rendition of 🎵 “You Don’t Own Me”, originally/famously performed by 🎙 Lesley Gore.  

Perhaps if you from a younger generation, you just assumed that the 🎙 Grace (now 🎙 SAYGRACE) hit,  🎵 “You Don’t Own Me”, was an original.  It is understandable, considering the original song by 🎙 Lesley Gore was released in 1963.  The SAYGRACE cover appears as the ace in the hole on her 2016 debut album, 💿 FMA.  Interestingly, SAYGRACE differentiates from the original by adding a rapper feature, courtesy of the ever confident 🎙 G-Eazy.

Following the intro, G-Eazy takes first blood on “You Don’t Own Me.” In spirit with the original, Eazy makes sure he touts the independent, empowered woman. “She’s the baddest I would love to flaunt / Take her shopping, you know Yves Saint Laurent,” he raps, adding, “But nope, she ain’t with it though / All because she got her own dough…” He returns for the fourth verse, with a similar vibe: “Never borrow, she ain’t ever loan / That’s when she told me she ain’t never ever ever ever gonna be owned.” As for the star, SAYGRACE, she does a marvelous job singing. She never over nor under- sings, bringing the right balance. Likewise, the production – 🎛 Parker Ighile and Quincy Jones – is slick update of vintage 60s backdrop.  It’s classy yet also feels at home in the 2010s.  “You Don’t Own Me,” in SAYGRACE’s hands, peaked at no. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.

via GIPHY

🎙 SAYGRACE • 💿 FMA • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2016

SAYGRACE, “You Don’t Own Me”: Covers No. 16 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; RCA; Paul Brennan from Pixabay; Sdf Rahbar on Unsplash]