Don’t tell someone what to wear. It’s simple. Just don’t do it. Los Angeles based singer-songwriter morgen has written a song dedicated to all of the people that have tried to tell her what to wear in the past. Body image, and body dysmorphia is something that so many people experience, and ‘Mom Jeans’ is her statement to the world of what makes her happy, and what doesn’t.
“In my baby blue mom jeans and a baggy shirt, cause I don’t feel like me in a miniskirt. But in my blue mom jeans I’m the king of the world, and man I feel like a pretty girl” she honestly sings during the song’s hook. It has already begun resonating with listeners on TikTok, and let’s be honest, we are not surprised. This is the song a whole generation of people need growing up with social media and society telling them how to be. It’s exhausting, and people just need to stop.
Following her recent singles ‘Fine By Me’ and ‘Odd One Out’ from her 2021 debut EP ‘Unaccompanied Minor’ , morgen is quickly become a newcomer you need to keep an eye on.
I chatted to Morgen about the creative process behind the infectiously catchy track ‘Mom Jeans’, as well as its very timely and important messaging of body image. Check out the full chat BELOW;
THOMAS BLEACH: ‘Mom Jeans’ is not only an infectiously catchy track, but it’s also a very important and timely song that is quite emotively heavy and empowering at the same time. Can you explain the creative process behind this song?
MORGEN: When I made this song I was in this place where I was super fed up with everything. I was in the middle of the pandemic, alone, and living with my parents, and I had just started getting some traction with my music and everyone had opinions on me. I didn’t know who to talk to, I didn’t know who to trust, and I didn’t know what was going on. I can’t even deal with my own securities so how am I supposed to find out who I am while I’m trying to deal with all of these other opinions about me, even if they aren’t harmful. I felt like I was just bombarded with opinions at once, so that’s where the inspiration came from, it was me saying “I don’t care about any of these things, I’m just going to stay true to who I am, even if I don’t know who that is” *laughs*.
I think the song was really easy to write, surprisingly. It was almost like a word vomit. I was just having fun writing it, and thought it was almost a joke, but then after I wrote it, I realised it was something special. I have always had a really baggy style, and worn mom jeans, and never felt like I fit in anywhere, so we decided to make fun of that and find humour in it.
TB: There definitely is some humour in the song, but there is also an emotional heaviness that sits within the theme. When you listen to the song does it feel emotional or empowering for you?
M: I think it’s more empowering than it is hard. Just because I know writing that song actually helped me work through stuff. ‘mom jeans’ is the perfect embodiment of where I actually was when I wrote it. I had just gotten out of a relationship, and I had no idea where it left me, and who I was in this world. There were so many questions. But now I feel settled, and I think that song catapulted me to where I am now.
TB: How many versions of the song did you go through to get it where it is now?
M: There were two. I originally did a shorter version.
TB: Shorter than two minutes long? Surely there was a longer version?
M: No, like literally, this song was SO short. We were like, “what are we doing wrong? This song is so tiny” *laughs*. I have reworked the lyrics a few times, and gradually added in more adlibs like the “ha ha ha ha ha’ part, and the scream from the first verse. But I guess it was pretty much the same the whole way through.
TB: The song touches on body image, and for someone that personally struggles with body dysmorphia I had an immediate gravitational pull to it. How has it been already hearing other people’s stories and interpretations of the song through social media, and especially TikTok?
M: Oh my god dude, it has been the most incredible experience. The amount of dm’s I get from people saying things like “I wore a bikini today because your song gave me the confidence to do so”, or “I was struggling with an eating disorder and your song really helped me get out of that place, and I’m really grateful for this” is so incredible. These people share so many intimate and personal things with me. I struggled with an eating disorder for a little bit, and I also struggled with body dysmorphia and so much self-criticism, so people sharing these stories with me of how my song has impacted them is very special.
TB: To put it simply, people just need to stop telling others what to wear, and especially in the queer world and in media I think we can do a lot better, because I don’t know if you share the same experience, but I have found it very toxic at times.
M: Oh absolutely! When I was in my first ever queer relationship I was really struggling with identity, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. She was hyper-femme and I was like “Oh, I guess I have to be masculine now”. So I stripped myself of all my femininity, I was going to cut my hair, and I wouldn’t touch makeup or anything. It fucked with my head, and completley fucked me up. I went to an extreme and I took away a part of myself that I loved. I truly loved femininity, and I still love femininity, or that concept I guess. So I wasn’t comfortable in this place, but I thought it was where I was meant to be. I thought I needed to be “the man”, but I was like “bitch, you are gay” *laughs*. And it was definitely not her, it was all me. I was a fresh queer little baby, and I just thought I needed to fit this “role” that society and media made me feel like I needed to contribute to.
TB: The neon music video for ‘Mom Jeans’ is a really cool take on the song and brings another layer to it. What was one of the funniest or weirdest things that happened on the shoot?
M: So much shit went down on that set! But the funniest thing that happened was that we didn’t have enough green fabric to cover the sides of the thing, so we were cutting it up in places, and turning it into this hodge-podge. It looked so bad *laughs*.
I also accidentally ruined the rug in the video that I was supposed to return by dropping spray paint all over it. So I bought it, and now it’s in the rug in my literal bedroom. It’s cotton candy coloured, and not something I’d ever pick for my room, but it gives my room character *laughs*.
TB: Well I was going to ask you if the way the bedroom is aesthetically decorated was an accurate representation of your bedroom?
M: Yes and no *laughs*. If you took my brain with everything I want to do with my bedroom and make it a heightened reality and extend upon my insanity, then that is what the ‘mom jeans’ music video would be. It was utter chaos.
TB: Let’s play a quick game of rapid fire questions about the song. Are you ready?
M: Yeah!
TB: The emoji that best describes my new single ‘Mom Jeans’ is…
M: The pregnant lady, and the jeans.
TB: My favourite lyric in the song is…
M: “I’m the king of the world. And, man, I feel like a pretty girl”.
TB: A lyric I changed was…
M: So for the line “You wanna call me on my cell phone just to tell me, morgen, your shit blows” I originally had “Morgen, you’re gross” and I was like mmm no *laughs*.
TB: The thing this song taught me about myself while creating it was…
M: That I can be myself and people really don’t care, and it’s the best thing. And like even if they do care, it doesn’t matter. We are on a floating rock. This world is ridiculous. Like, white men just got control of my uterus. No one is going to care if I’m wearing baggy jeans, and if they do, fuck them.
TB: The colour that comes to mind when I think of the song is…
M: All of them *laughs*. I literally can’t pick one. I see all of them in the song. Like what, how are you meant to pick one?
TB: Morgen…. Do you have ADHD? *laughs*
M: *laughs* That is a funny question because yes I do, but I haven’t been clinically diagnosed. My mum took me to a doctor when I was younger and the doctor said that he could put me on medication but it could stunt my creativity. So my mum said no, and here we are *laughs*.
‘Mom Jeans’ is out now!