It talks about female power, abuse and, more recently, the representation of women in politics. He does it to the beat of rap and without censorship. Erika Isac now comes with a gift for March 8, which she told in an exclusive interview, Adevărul. It is called: “Women in Parliament”. In the midst of an election year, the new song has a strong message and promises to be a resounding success, at least equal to “Macarena”.
Erika Isac launches the song “Women in Parliament” PHOTO MediaZilla
Equally praised and criticized online, the seaside artist has come up with explanations for the licentious language and nude footage in the track she hit last month.
“Macarena” was the sensation of the moment on all social platforms, it was shared by local artists and influencers, taken up by women's protection organizations and collected more than 4.6 million views on YouTube, where it reached number 1.
The release of the song also coincided with the breakup with his lover, Adi Istrate, also a well-known singer. People started making various speculations on this topic as well.
However, the voice of Erika Isac, a Generation Z fan, was heard all the way to the European Parliament, after the lyrics, combined in a rap remix, raised serious social issues: from the stigmatization of women, to the victims domestic abuse.
The idea of a help platform
The young woman, aged 24, from Constanța, wants to make real changes and get involved, as much as possible, for a better world. In addition to music, he plans to create a platform through which he can offer help to victims of abuse.
“We are working on a platform for people who are at risk, especially women, but not necessarily. It's a platform for everyone, where a person, the moment they feel in danger, whether they're on a date or going anywhere, can give their live location and if they send a certain text, where they still we are working, she will be assisted by a special crew. The platform is under construction and at the moment I cannot give more information”the artist declared, during a press conference.
Returning to her great passion, since the spring of last year, Erika started working on the play “Women in Parliament”. Although she stated that she currently has no plans to dabble in politics, she composed the lyrics in order to advocate for greater female representation in Parliament. She was also inspired by the fact that there is already a draft law by the Minister of the Family, Gabriela Firea, which stipulates a percentage of 30% women on the electoral lists.
Without the curtain, the singer also added that “she feels like throwing up” when it is accused that everything is a marketing strategy.
PHOTO MediaZilla
Exclusive interview The Truth: Erika Isac
The truth: Where did you get the idea to compose rap songs with a feminist message, as they have never been done before in our country?
What inspired me? The reality around us. Maybe also personal experiences, maybe experiences of close people around me. There may have been songs like this before, but they just didn't reach the public the way the Macarena did. Maybe I had the right moment.
The truth: Did you have other artists who inspired you?
I listen to a lot of music, of many types. I mainly grew up listening to the music of Amy Winehouse and Nicki Minaj. I know almost all of their songs and love them the most, even if there is a fantastic discrepancy between the two.
Erika Isac and Dorian Popa, graduates of the same top high school
The truth: When did you start making music, where did this passion come from and how did you get to where you are today?
I've been singing since I was six, but I started composing three years ago. I composed my first song when I was 11 years old, but I deleted it from YouTube because my classmates were making fun of me. After that, I released songs, around 20-21 years old, also written by me, but they didn't catch on with the public. Then, I started working with Laurentiu Duța and with him I released two songs. It wasn't until later that I signed to Global and really started my music career.
The truth: What high school did you graduate from?
“Mihai Eminescu” National College, from Constanța.
About the Macarena and Women in Parliament: “I'm in panties because I'm dizzy”
The truth: Have you personally ever faced situations like going out on a date with a guy and being afraid to give your girlfriends a live location like you say in the song?
Not on a date, but when I come home from somewhere, either from the club or from a friend, I have happened to send the live location to my boyfriend or some friend, my mother. Or when I used to travel with ride-sharing cars between cities, I had the location constantly on, because you never know.
The truth: But have you ever had problems with aggressive men?
Yes, I have dealt with aggressive men throughout my life. Also, since I released the song, I have received all kinds of messages that have touched me.
The truth: Why did you choose to film naked and basically sexualize the woman?
No, I didn't have sex! The sexualization of women is a social construct. We came into the world naked, all of us. I want to emphasize that a woman's intelligence and decency has nothing to do with how she is dressed. That's why I'm in my panties. In “Macarena” I'm naked, and in “Women in Parliament” I'm in panties because I'm crazy and it's never related to what I'm wearing. I grant that I know even more history than all the “Grooms” commenting. The main substratum is: a woman dresses the way she wants and what matters more is what she says.
Erica Isak in “Macarena” PHOTO Capture YouTube
The truth: “I want girls at any babble without restraint, to feel what it's like to not be able to protect her from others like you”. What did you mean, specifically, with this line, because it seems that the revenge would also fall on a new generation of women?
In the neighborhood, so to speak, the word is that the bums are unlucky to have girls, precisely because they have treated them badly their whole life. That verse strictly refers to the type of men who don't have even a half-decent attitude towards women their entire lives, and the moment they have a child, they start freaking out about the situations their girl might be put in , since he is born. It's a wake-up call, sort of: look in the mirror, it's possible that at some point your daughter will be scared of someone just like you. A wake-up call to them, not a retribution to women. I don't want women to have fathers who spent their whole lives making fun of other people. I try to convey to those men that they need to change, because at some point, maybe they will have a child, and that child may be a girl.
The truth: Related to the new play, “Women in Parliament”: often, when a woman is successful in her career or reaches leadership positions, rumors such as: “she slept with the right person” or “she belongs to someone” are spread, precisely to be devalued and not to recognize its real merits. How would you comment?
This problem is not only in politics, but in any field, of course also in our case, the artists. I'm sure that if you ask a man on the street how I came to have the song Macarena, probabi, as you also said, he will say, I quote: “he slept with the right person”. This stereotype, unfortunately, also has some grain of truth, because men who have become leaders, throughout time, have used their power for such purposes…personal, so to speak. Blackmail exists, manipulation exists, but from my point of view, such cases are rarer than propagated. I even heard gossip around me. Somehow, the world has the impression that there must necessarily be a man behind it, for a woman to be capable of something. Surprise! Not!
PHOTO Facebook
Parents' and ex-boyfriend's opinion
The truth: What does your ex-boyfriend think of the song “Macarena”?
My ex-boyfriend is very proud of the Macarena song, he likes it a lot. It supports the message from before I wrote the piece that, after all, he had nothing to do with me if he didn't do it and that was it. It's a supporter!
The Truth: So the play and your breakup have nothing to do with each other?
My boyfriend and I broke up weeks before we shot the music video for the Macarena, but the world has no way of knowing. We didn't immediately announce that we broke up, and people figured it out when they saw that we weren't posting pictures together anymore. It had nothing to do with it.
The truth: But what did your parents think?
My parents are also very proud. They are also the opinion that matters most. They can only say they were worried about my mental health, how I would handle the barrage of criticism.
Fewer juice and cream ads, more social engagement
The truth: How would you see a better society for women?
Education, influencing people to be more engaged in social messages. Make juice and cream ads count less. Let the troubles of the people around us matter more. And not only women's. Children and men also face a lot of misfortunes.
