Singer, rapper and writer Dessa released the new single “Terry Gross” today as the fourth installment of her project series IDES.

The IDES song series outlines that she will release a new single on the 15th day of each month. The purpose of the project is to replace touring during a time when performers are not able to, instead producing regular installments of music collaborated with other artists that are also working from home by sharing sound files and voice recordings. April’s “Terry Gross” was produced with Andy Thompson, Lazerbeak and Doomtree’s Paper Tiger. Previous singles with the project are “Rome,” “Life On Land” and “Bombs Away.” The name itself is a nod toward how the middle of the month was referred to in the ancient Roman calendar.

This newly released track is described by Dessa as having a “weirdo, menacing beat” with a sassy yet dark type of feel. The message is one of independence as a woman, reflecting a personal power in her confidence that asserts undeniable authority in a generally male-dominated genre of music. She refers to herself as a predator, rapping over a deep bass percussion beat in the synthesized instrumental with a vocalized rhythmic beat behind the melody. Check out the song below:

Dessa’s musical projects for this calendar year include her release of “Who’s Yellen Now?” in January in response to a joke made by newly elected President Joe Biden. The song follows the appointment of Janet Yellen as the first female Secretary of the Treasury in a Hamilton-style production.

Outside of rapping, Dessa’s adulthood accomplishments involve quite a few expectation-defying projects. She has contributed to the RBG documentary soundtrack, co-composed for a 100-voice choir, written for both The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler, wrote a 2018 published memoir called “My Own Devices” and presented a TED talk that received more than 2 million views, according to the press release. She now hosts a podcast series called Deeply Human where she discusses science and human behavior.

Photo credit Marv Watson