Bonsai Mammal, or Jimmy Harry, has got to ring an entire ensemble of bells with clued-up clubbers and dance music aficionados who consider themselves to be well informed. Cultivating a star-studded discography that includes collabs with premier-league names such as Madonna, PINK!, Felix Jaehn, Robin Schultz, Diplo, Kelly Clarkson, Weezer and more, the L.A.-based, Golden Globe winning songwriter and composer is teaming up with underground pop star LIZ to issue a brand-new version of the track that meant his breakthrough as a writer and producer: RuPaul’s iconic song ‘Supermodel (You Better Work)’.
Listen to Bonsai Mammal feat. LIZ - Supermodel
An impeccable reimagination of RuPaul’s breakout club hit from the ‘90s, Bonsai Mammal’s ‘Supermodel’ takes all of the original record’s infectiousness and multiplies it into infinity. Led by a set of groove-stricken beats, sexy brass sections and the seductive vocals of LIZ, this House-inspired overhaul of the age-old hit single has the looks and isn’t afraid to show it.
“‘Supermodel’ was the first song I wrote that had any sort of commercial and cultural success”, Jimmy Harry (Bonsai Mammal) explains. “I had met RuPaul in Atlanta while casting him in a musical I had written, after which I became very involved in the making of his breakout song and album ‘Supermodel Of The World’. As much as I love the original version, I had always been curious to hear ‘Supermodel’ in a totally different sonic light, but I never had the time or opportunity to make that happen until I was in a session with LIZ a couple of years ago. I was recording with LIZ in London at Tileyard Studios. After we had finished the song we were working on, we were hanging out in the studio chatting and ended on the topic of ‘Supermodel’. I told her that I’d always wanted to cover the song and she immediately volunteered her vocal services. I quickly put together a track and recorded her vocal. The song then sat, forgotten, on my hard drive, untouched for a while. It wasn’t until COVID hit that I found myself with a bit of extra time on my hands. I started looking through my old files for something to do and stumbled on the track. I was really surprised about how much I loved it. I quickly finished it up, loved it even more and decided I wanted to put it out.”
An ‘underground pop princess’ previously touted as The First Lady of Mad Decent, LIZ offers just as much pulse as pomp in her riveting brand of joyful dance music. Mixing future-kitsch and R&B with ‘90s/’00s influences in an inspiring sense of can-do artisty, the funky girls next door managed to become pop culture’s newest icon. She has collaborated with the likes of Lido, Ryan Hemsworth, Mr. Carmack, Branchez and Vic Mensa and dropped her first full-length album, ‘Planet Y2K’ at the end of 2019, showcasing tracks with top pop collaborators such as Jesse Saint John, Robokid, Dylan Brady, Kim Petras and Slayyyter. This new track with Bonsai Mammal marks the first in another series of delicious songs to come from the effervescent pop persona.