Lenny Kravitz Works It Out On His New Single “Come On Get It”

There are virtually no men in pop music. If you take a listen to the pop soundscape, you’ll notice two things: first, it’s practically dominated by divas and their various spinoffs which, of course, I’m totally into. Second, you’ll see that there are probably only 11 people making pop music right now: Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, P!nk, Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Usher, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé. That’s great for radio domination, but not so great for creating a diversity of sounds.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPksYDzmwd4&w=575&h=353%5D

Lenny Kravitz’ loud new single “Come On Get It”—his first since 2009— hit the airwaves last week, and if you really listen, you’ll hear how raw it sounds against the whining and crooning all the other male pop singers do. This serious hard-funk joint, equal parts Sly Stone, James Brown, and Jimi Hendrix, pries open mid-sentence with a roaring saxophone and pulsating guitars. Before the song even begins, it’s getting us ready for the wall of sound that goes up when Kravitz first screams “Yeeeeah!”

“Come On Get It,” which has the potential to be Lenny’s most explosive hit since his cover of “American Woman” in 1999, is a kind of raunchy love song. Kravitz wants his lady to know that he’s coming to get it—such as: “I’m in love with your love/And I’m coming to get it” or “Can I go from behind/Love It/Com’ On and Get It.” With his new single, a certain edge and virility returns to popular music, maybe a swagger that only rock and roll can provide.

I’ve looked up to Lenny Kravitz for as long as I can remember. He’s a black and Jewish fashion kid just like me who doesn’t care about gender norms, wears Rick Owens, and carries a purse if he needs to, also just like me! Remember back in September when the Internet went totally ballistic on him for wearing “high heels” on the streets of New York? Did he give a fuck? No. Why don’t we have more dudes like this on the pop music scene?

“Come On Get It” is the lead single from Lenny’s ninth studio album Black and White America, out this summer.