While promoting her sophomore album and first true solo release Dance Therapy, Ora the Molecule hasn’t been shy about emphasizing the project’s focus on celebrating individuality. When she shared the pre-album single “Intergalactic Dance” with us, she made sure to note that despite its playful grooviness, the song was a call to arms for self-expression. “It’s the calling to be unapologetically you while on this planet,” she shared. “It’s a wake up call and a command for love, in a robotic fashion. So, do the dance, the intergalactic dance, the dance of you.”
The irony, though, is that the Norwegian artist born Nora Schjelderup never could’ve tapped into this sense of self-dom if it wasn’t for the flamboyant individualists who’ve preceded her in the disco space, women across the world who helped legitimize the genre outside the context of chest hair spilling out of deep-V tops, John Travolta, and, ultimately, razed LPs at Comiskey Park. From Italy to Venezuela, Korea to Central Europe, the mid- to late-20th century was a hotbed for elegant mirror-ball dance music far beyond the confines of the US.
To shed a little light on that global scene, as well as to provide a bit of context for her new release, Schjelderup took the time to shout out a few of her favorite disco queens below. Check out her playlist, and make sure to stream Dance Therapy here.
Desireless, “Voyage voyage”
She’s my icon. Both musically and philosophically. Claudie’s stage name Desireless is inspired by her interest in spirituality and detachment from materialism. Her biggest synthpop hit, “Voyage,” is about travel and escapism, emphasising the beauty of exploration. I love it so, so much.
Amanda Lear, “Alphabet”
My muse. The muse of everyone—even of Salvador Dalí. She even dated David Bowie. Everything about her intrigues me: her voice, her mysterious presence, her elegance, her style, her beauty. She has by far made the best song about the alphabet ever.
Nadia Cassini, “Encounters”
To me, a fashion icon. To be honest, the white stage outfit I wore for the NRK performance here in Norway was inspired by her 1978 Get Ready TV performance.
Gloria Piedimonte, “Ping Pong Space”
Another Italian star. I can watch this video into eternity. And it changed my way of playing ping pong forever.
Linda Jo Rizzo, “You’re My First, You’re My Last”
Born in the USA, but became famous in Europe (especially Germany and Italy). And the best part is that she’s still active.
Lucia, “Marinero”
From Venezuela. She differs from the other disco queens as she composed most of her work herself and she also worked as a piano teacher while being a full-time disco diva.
Raffaella Carrá, “Rumore”
Italian disco queen. Energetically incomparable to anything I’ve seen. She is a pure tornado of energy onstage and her charisma is so, so infectious. One of my favorites. A feminist, a light, a huge inspiration.
Kim Wan-Sun, “Pierro laughs at us” & “The Dance Is the Rhythm”
She’s the Korean Madonna.
Sabrina Salerno, “Boys (Summertime Love)”
’80s icon. She might be one of the biggest Italo disco figures. Her 1989 hit “Boys (Summertime Love)” was legendary.
Eva Robin, “Disco Panther”
The first transgender disco queen of Italy to be on national TV.
Marika Gombitova, “Študentská láska”
Slovakian disco queen. She was such a trendsetter in Slovakia and the Czechoslovak region as she blended emotive ballads with upbeat dance tracks. I think she was one of the first ones to do Italo disco over there in the late-’70s.
