A rallying cry wrapped in rhythm

Downtown New York’s nightlife just got a little more magical. Transgender pop artist Jae XO, a fierce fixture of the city’s underground scene, has released her most bewitching single yet, “Dancin’ in the Full Moon.” The track, produced by Velvet Code and recorded with three-time Grammy-winning engineer Denise Barbarita, is a pulsating Halloween anthem that fuses disco glamour, witchy mysticism, and queer resilience into one irresistible dance-floor ritual.

Jae describes the song as a celebration of power and self-acceptance born from within. “Trans people know that we are magical, mystical, powerful beings,” she says. “But sometimes we just have to dance in the light of the full moon (or a disco ball) with a coven of powerful identities to charge ourselves for the fight ahead. At the core of it, we’re all just fighting to stay upright. Society may crumble around us, but we’ll hold ourselves together til the end of the night.”

Written in a creative frenzy after brewing a homemade herbal tea for focus and inspiration, the track came to life almost as if conjured by spell. “I was immediately hit with a groove that made my bones move,” Jae recalls. “It was the fastest I’ve ever written a song, and within days I had a full demo ready.” The finished result is a hypnotic mix of brass flourishes, infectious hooks, and a touch of supernatural allure; all perfectly timed for Halloween season.

While Jae’s breakout hit “Fabulous” turned heads with its bold energy, “Dancin’ in the Full Moon” dives deeper into her artistic evolution. “‘Fabulous’ was the flash of light that caught your attention, and now ‘Dancin’ in the Full Moon’ will draw you in,” she explains. “If a person could be possessed by a dance pop disco track, this song would be the one to do it. I know it will become a household haunting hit for eons to come.”

Perhaps the song’s most enchanting element is its bridge: a literal spell Jae says came to her “from across the veil.” As she describes it, “I had the first version of the bassline looping with a voice memo recording my thoughts and sounds as they came. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, the entire spell came out of me word for word. Oftentimes the divine will provide you with the words once you’ve strengthened your will and determined your ways. And who am I to second guess it?”

For Jae, who has long used her platform to blend activism and artistry, “Dancin’ in the Full Moon” is more than a club track. It’s a rallying cry wrapped in rhythm. “This song will make us all want to get up and dance, but we have to remember we are never just dancing,” she reflects. “As we dance, we must release the boundaries and barriers that are keeping us from the greatest good of this world. I want listeners to find versions of themselves they haven’t embraced in years; the purest parts of the soul that are safe to share in the comfort of the big bright moon.”

The single’s haunting visuals were created by a tight-knit “coven” of collaborators including makeup artist Evan Nicholas, creative assistant Kimi Handa Brown, nail artist Sammy Daoud, and photographers Langley and Luis of Lone Ace Design. All work seamlessly together to capture the essence of Jae’s downtown aesthetic: raw, radiant, and rebellious.

“Community is the most vital part of my existence as both an artist and a human,” Jae says. “When you surround yourself with others that operate on the same frequency, your powers collectively grow exponentially.”

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