Queen Kwong has released a new video for her cover of “State Trooper” originally by Bruce Springsteen. Roger O’Donnell from The Cure is featured as a co-star in this exciting new video. Kwong said that her intention for covering this song was to flip the male narrative saying, “My intention for the video was to flip the male-gaze to the female gaze.” Kwong kept the intensity and mood of Springsteen’ original, but flipped the script and had the narrative be about  women’s rejection of patriarchal thinking. “State Trooper” is featured in her new EP STRANGERS along with four other covers that all flip the gender narrative. 

The video itself is dark and moody.  Kwong is featured on a screen singing this song wearing bright red lipstick. Red lipstick has been seen as a statement marking feminism, dating back to the women’s suffrage, making it no mistake that Kwong chose this bright color for her lips. Beyond the red lipstick, red tights, red gloves and nail polish are also shown throughout the video further adding to the theme of red for feminism. The whole room in itself is also very dark and the red is contrasted well. Throughout the video there is a man, O’donell, who is touching the screen that Kwong is displayed on. At the end of the video he is laying down on the ground. It seems as if Kwong causes him to be injured because he was touching her screen. He feels entitled to her and feels entitled to touch the screen and Kwong shows that he is not.

Kwong said in a press release, “”Roger’s appearance in the video portrays the ‘kill your idols’ theme, which has recently been a common message in my art and writing. This Strangers EP serves as both a personal reconciliation and a way to honor the complicated legacy of rock n roll, even as I continue to push for a future where women have equal footing in the genre.” STRANGERS is out now and can be streamed here.