Bad Girls by Donna Summer

Dear Pennies & Pens, 

Like so many others, I have been looking for new hobbies to keep me busy while in quarantine. Back in January, I bought a turntable and started collecting vinyl records. 

I absolutely love listening to records! Music sounds so much better on vinyl. The vocals are clearer and you can hear the background instrumentals better. That said, in this post, I’ll be talking about Donna Summer’s 1979 classic, “Bad Girls”.

For those that don’t know, this album is seriously dope. It’s just iconic for so many reasons. The vocals, lyrics, production and styling all make this album worth discussing 40 plus years after it was created. 

Donna Summer paved the way for musicians like Beyonce`, Rihanna and Little Mix. Without her bold and audacious lyrics that allowed women to show their sexual side – modern pop music wouldn’t exist. Donna set the tone for what I believe is a new wave of music called Femme Pop. Check out the post where I officially crowned Beyonce` as the Queen of Femme Pop. 

Bad Girls starts off with “Hot Stuff” one of the songs that Donna is best known for. What’s so original about this song is that it’s about a woman’s sexual wants, desires and needs. Before songs like this, a woman’s sexuality was always depicted and controlled by men so women didn’t have a say in their own sensuality. However, this song changed all of that. 

Next up, we get “Bad Girls” – the title track. This song is interesting because it’s talking about prostitution and stripping. The album art also depicts this in a visual way by showing Donna wearing a risque outfit, smoking cigarettes while a man drives up with a cigarette and money in his hand. I can only imagine how controversial this song and album art was upon release. But it’s a topic that while sometimes taboo – it should be discussed. 

The next few tracks slow the album down just a bit. My favorites include “Dim All the Lights”, “Journey to the Centre of Your Heart” and “On My Honor”. In fact, that’s what I love and cherish about Donna. She gives you different perspectives on each song. Each song on this album has its own vibe making it a complete body of work. 

Donna Summer may not be with us anymore, but her music lives on. 

And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping it real never goes wrong. 

P.S. Did you like this post? Learn how to write your own album reviews with my book #MakeUrPenLoud: How To Be A Lifestyle Blogger.