Say She She’s third album, Cut & Rewind, is a seeming dichotomy of warm and bright, upbeat contemporary disco music while lyrically charged with sharp observations about the world we live in.
The New York City trio — Piya Malik, Sabrina Cunningham, and Nya Gazelle Brown — draw deep inspiration from the soul, disco and funk sounds of the 1970s. Their signature harmonies shimmer over grooves powered by members of the cult funk band Orgone, giving the record a tight rhythm section that’s impossible not to move to.
Beneath the shimmer and basslines lies a clear-eyed commentary. “Under the Sun” is a pro-labor anthem, inspired by the Hollywood writers’ strike of 2023. “She Who Dares,” is pointed directly at the the tension and turmoil of the present moment, particularly for women.
“Disco Life,” retells the story of 1979’s Disco Demolition Night — a stunt in Chicago that erupted into an anti-disco riot. Say She She flips that history into a charge of the racism, misogyny and homophobia fueling the hate against the disco genre — which came out of Black, queer, and femme communities. It’s a reminder that those forces still persist decades later.
While presented in a shiny package, the band channels optimism in this album through sound, and keeps it grounded in realism through words.
One of my favorite tracks “Take It All” is a a perfect window into the magic of Say She She by making you move and groove, even if you're not ready for it.
For this album, the band's approach was to write each song and record it the same day, with only three instrumental takes allowed with the best one making the cut. That immediacy gives Cut & Rewind its spontaneous, lived-in energy.
Must listens
- "Cut & Rewind"
- "Under the Sun"
- "Disco Life"
- "Take It All"
- "She Who Dares"
- "Bandit"
- "Make It Known"
