Bonavega's Ladyman is the gender-fluid, mullet-haired 80s rock banger we all need

Los Angeles performer Bonavega has released a video for Ladyman, a song that takes aim at societal norms and gender stereotypes yet is also a legitimate glam rock banger in the style of Sunset Strip circa 1984.

“I wrote Ladyman as an anthem for those who never felt right about fitting into the box that society handed them," says Bonavega. "It encompasses specifically people like myself who find joy in dressing up in clothing that may not be the 'correct' thing to wear but it also speaks to those who are finding their own way to defeat society’s toxic control over people’s minds and spirits."

Ladyman opens with the lyrics, "The girls I like are quite unique / They embrace airs of masculinity / They dress like boys not girls / They think that beauty standards are a bore that makes me want them more" while a genuinely euphoric chorus climaxes with the lines, "I don't know what to say so turn out the light / And pull me in tight like only a Ladyman can."

We don't know much about Bonavega, apart from the fact that he was eliminated from Season 15 of America's Got Talent despite apparently receiving a standing ovation from judge Heidi Klum, and that Ladyman was produced by Chris Greatti, who's also worked with Blink-182 and nu-metal pop android Poppy. So we'll just regurgitate the press release.

It says: "With a fierce reputation as one of the most in demand live acts on the LA club circuit, delivering an irresistible combination of subversive disco, guitar playing to rival the greatest shredders (and the mullet to match), make up that will always be better than yours, tunes that are impossible to get out of your head and unparalleled looks, Bonafega is here to disrupt culture, deliver pure escapism and dominate the charts."

Excellent.

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.