Review: Billy Porter Breaks A Sweat On The Dance Floor With His New Single BROKE A SWEAT

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, welcome back to Bobby’s CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This week’s album entry in the BobbyFiles comes from POSE’s own Billy “Pray Tell” Porter, who released a single this month  - BROKE A SWEAT… and she may do - before the night is over. As with his BABY WAS A DANCER (the review of which, by yours truly, we are certain you have all read and adored!)  SWEAT is penned by Porter himself, and his performance of the song is absolutely what we have come to expect from this consummate vocalist. His powerful voice on this new song is telling the story of survival, but not of a life made difficult by his origins - as with BABY - but by the long and winding road of career, and ambition, and the almighty pursuit of A-R-T (and a dollar or two to go with it).  You see, my angels, SWEAT is Billy’s story, again, but not the story of his deep past, like BABY WAS A DANCER, but the tale of those tough times he had getting work in an industry that told him how talented he was and then turned its back on him - REPEATEDLY. This was a career path of kicking tiny snowflakes down a mountain, hoping they would collect more flakes building momentum, and growing into giant snowballs, only to watch them melt… Until vision met his talents and perseverance, and his big KINKY BOOTS snowball began its roll all the way to Tony and Emmy awards (the latter for POSE), and lots of critical and popular acclaim. These are all things he deserved years ago, but had to wait for… and now, in the storm of stardom, he’s saying “LOOK OUT!  I AIN’T EVEN BROKE A SWEAT.” Porter is ready to take on more and conquer more because he has so much more left in him and F’ what you heard about age and time passing. This is Billy’s time and he’s going to sing about it. Hear the song and read the words, dear Bobby readers…
 

Porter's performance in his gorgeous, youthful voice is filled with power in the music and lyrics. They all combine, telling the story of sex and love and career, and never being “past” any of it, baby. Billy tells us all to continue to contribute all we have to our passions and our lives. His excellent personal lyrics match his trajectory since his new chapter and meteoric rise, starting with KINKY BOOTS. His life, as well as his ambition for the future, are totally baked into his poetry, which is a wild stream of consciousness, but comprehensible, coming for him. His music here is another mass of driving dance rhythms, more modern in their layers than BABY, but these choices are purposeful. BABY’s beats feel “older” because they are inspired by different influences from La Porter’s past lives. We are in the here and now with SWEAT and its promise of so much more to come, and these notes cry out for mixing on the dance floor of today. This is a disco anthem if ever there were one, this music NEEDS to be heard in the clubs, as well as at the biggest (naughtiest) raves and circuit parties. These totally danceable beats make up a happy, life-affirming song that is the sunrise after a “too-long night”. So we give this one our rousing…

5 Out Of 5 Rainbows. Put this in your queue today and be prepared to DANCE!

Check It Out On Your Spotifies: HERE

Find Out About All Things Billy: HERE

(And Be Sure To Click The Link To Get Notifications About Upcoming Tour Dates For Billy Porter)

QUOTE BY BROADWAYWORLD’S MICHAEL MAJOR

“On the track, bold and boisterous horns set the mood as the funky bass line locks into an upbeat dance floor-ready groove. Handclaps punctuate heartfelt verses as the momentum culminates on a mic-drop of a chorus, ‘I haven’t even started yet, I haven’t even broke a sweat.’”

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