Qveen Herby’s new EP completely redefines what it means to be a housewife.
Stereotypically, a housewife cooks cleans, and cares for the children. She’s financially dependent on her husband and often doesn’t have a life outside her motherly and wifely duties. Anything outside that appears as vapid gossip with other housewives who have nothing better to do. However, Qveen Herby dissects this definition into catchy mantra-like songs with lyrics, beats, and ideas bound to get stuck in your head.
Unlike the confines of the titular role, Qveen Herby’s latest EP, HOUSEWIFE (released August 29th), isn’t restricted by anything. The seven songs each overthrow the patriarchy’s definition of a housewife, reimagining the role as one of independence, glamour, and successful manifestation.
HOUSEWIFE
Like an essay, the EP starts with its thematic thesis: the redefinition of a housewife. Herby paints the picture of a rich and glamorous woman living in a suburban home wearing a pink nightgown. More importantly, this woman doesn’t have a man or children, so she’s home entirely focused on herself from practicing self-care through a beauty routine, having money to fund her own shopping spree, or spoiling herself with champagne. This woman is not only independent, but she is healing her generational trauma and finding her identity.
G SPOT
This song serves almost as the newly defined housewife manifesto. This woman is so relaxed she regularly gets sunburns from chilling on her yacht but is unbothered because she’s still hot. At first, it seems like she’ll devolve into thinking about a man, taking extra care to appease his desires, only to remember that he only subconsciously touched the g spot. He wasn’t making the same effort to appease her desires, so she just stopped thinking about him. Instead, she focuses on her drive, talent, and beauty. She adopts a different mentality, reminding herself she could have any man she wants or none at all.
DAYDREAMER
In the patriarchal definition of a housewife, she could only dream of her life outside the prison of her perfectly managed home, but Herby’s housewife isn’t just dreaming; she’s manifesting. There’s confidence in her actions, knowing that those dreams will undoubtedly become realities. Those aspirations are her happy place, and enduring the journey to get there won’t break her self-worth; instead, it’ll improve it because she arrived at her own volition.
MOOD OF THE CENTURY
This is the arrival, that feeling of overwhelming joy and accomplishment that floods your body when you’ve succeeded; it’s the victory dance. This housewife never had a doubt her daydreams would come to fruition. She put in the work, surrounded herself with a supportive entourage, and made it happen, not that there was ever a chance it wouldn’t. Success is her calling in life.
ALL OF MY BITCHES
Herby’s housewife isn’t vapidly gossiping with other women to find something to do; she knows the value of friends and treasures it. She takes back the derogatory and insulting nature of the word ‘bitch’ and turns it into an anthem about women who love and encourage other women. There’s no cattiness amongst friends, “I win, she win too.” Instead, there’s support, love, encouragement, and loyalty.
LUCKY
Unlike patriarchal housewives who may feel burdened by their role, Herby housewives are lucky and even privileged to wear such a title. She chose this life and is flourishing in it, so much so that she’s reached goddess level, thus elevating all the women in her circle to goddesses. These women have worked so hard for their dreams that it’s almost too easy now. Even in her gratitude, she doesn’t stray from her femininity, sharing her emotions openly and focusing her energy on fruitfulness.
GORGEOUS
Gorgeous is a reminder that the patriarchal housewife and Herby’s housewife are both just women trying to hone in their energy to achieve their version of success. It doesn’t really matter how they define success; it matters that they dare to strive for it. Herby’s housewife may seem like she has it all figured out, but ultimately, everyone has to fight through their “ingrained beliefs” to reach their gorgeous. It doesn’t need to happen all at once either because “pussy power” can be financed; borrow what you need when you need it and just keep on living your life as a goddess-level housewife.