Beth Ditto’s brand new single “We Could Run” is something of a throwback: classic rock star power-belting against a track simmering with ‘80s New Wave flourishes. But rather than merely being retro for its own sake, “Run” is a bracing reminder of when women like Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Pat Benatar, Chrissie Hynde, and countless femme one-hit wonders were making history simply by staking their claim to rock & roll. Lyrically, it’s a vintage caress of reassurance to a lover, an admission that while we might be ordinary people in the struggle, I got you; we don’t have to settle for where or how we live (a far distance from what we’re sold by the media as worthwhile lives) – we could run. As the groove snakes and builds into a Blondie-worthy pop track, it’s shot through with fragility and strength, vulnerability and toughness. And you could surf forever on the wave of Beth’s gorgeous vocals.
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