By Shane Gallagher
Jae XO is reclaiming their power with the release of Fabulous, a bold, brass-infused anthem of queer joy, self-worth, and rebirth. The new single marks a powerful turning point for the revolutionary transgender artist, who spent much of 2024 grieving the loss of their mother after a decades-long battle with addiction. “I wouldn’t let another year be defined solely by my grief,” Jae XO explains. “I wrote Fabulous because I needed to remind myself how fucking fabulous I am.” The song, born from a New Year’s vow to step beyond depression and anger, is more than just a personal pep talk. It’s a glittering declaration of survival and self-discovery, inviting listeners to join Jae XO on a journey of radical visibility and celebration.
You describe “FABULOUS” as a love letter to band kids. How did your time as a drum major influence the song’s sound and spirit?
There aren’t words to describe the feeling of 100 musicians blasting their horns at your command as you conduct 15 feet in the air on a podium while a stadium full of fans cheer behind you. I wanted to make a song that brought me back to my drum major era, but now as a majorette. I pulled so much inspiration from pop icons like Gwen Stefani, Janelle Monaé, Fergie, Missy Elliot, Madonna, and Destiny’s Child who were making these mega hits in the early 2000s using big brass and drum line sections. The spirit of that music was the soundtrack of my childhood, and shaped my love for music from an early age. It’s a visceral, thrilling, and nostalgic soundscape that we need to bring back into the mainstream. Being a drum major also taught me how to be a leader and inspire others through the love of art, which is always the end goal at the core of my music. I want “FABULOUS” to inspire people to be themselves and show it off to the world loud and proud.
There’s a strong message of radical visibility in this track. In today’s political climate, how do you view the act of being openly queer and trans as both celebration and protest?
Especially in the current political climate, being proud and queer is a protest at its core. Owning your truth and strutting your stuff is an act of rebellion. Being FABULOUS doesn’t just mean looking pretty and acting sassy, it’s a lifestyle that puts the trans and queer experience out in the open. You can’t deny our existence when we’re standing right in front of you in platform patent leather heels, stuffed bra and a mini skirt, wearing a lace front 26-inch honey blonde wig, screaming “PROTECT TRANS YOUTH” into a megaphone. We’ve always been here and we always will be. Accepting yourself and committing to it every single day is so immensely liberating that all I can do to contain my joy is celebrate that with my community. And sometimes, under certain circumstances, that act of celebration is so powerful that it can’t be described as anything less than revolutionary.
What was it like collaborating with Velvet Code and Grammy-winning engineer Denise Barbarita on this song?
This truly was the dream team. When I first brought this song to Velvet Code, it was an amateur garage band demo I had thrown together paired with a thousand and one ideas bouncing around in my head. We spent a couple months putting together the track, and when I heard the final version, I knew I had to get to the studio immediately. I scheduled a session that same week with Denise Barbarita and she took me from a singer to an artist. Then the track went back to the magician himself, Velvet Code, who worked at lightning speed with the engineers of SoFierce Music to mix and master this track into the pure joy and magic that you’ll want to play on repeat all summer!
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