"Rocket Queen" is notoriously one of the most overtly sexual songs on Guns N' Roses iconic debut, Appetite for Destruction, featuring actual audio of a woman orgasming in the studio (courtesy of Axl Rose and a lady friend). Natalie Nootenboom is here to reclaim it as an anthem for female sexuality and queer-femme empowerment.
The professional model (who's appeared in Vogue magazine) released a solo song called "Feel Me" last fall, and today (February 10th), we're premiering the highly NSFW video for her fiery take on "Rocket Queen." Watch and listen above via YouTube.
"There were times when I almost didn't release 'Rocket Queen' because I thought, 'This isn't me, this is a persona,'" Nootenboom tells us. "Then I realized there's nothing wrong with having a persona because my personas are a part of me. Music is one of the ways we can try on different energies and perspectives in a fun, non-serious manner. I realized with this project that's what I've been doing.
"I originally recorded a dirty version of this song with my friends. We parked in an area in my neighborhood and jokingly started moaning into my phone. Listening back to it, I couldn't take it seriously. It was satire. The moans in the studio thing worked for Guns N' Roses because they were recording a moment that authentically represented their lifestyle — it was real as it could be. But it wasn't reflective of mine.
"I wanted to cover 'Rocket Queen' because it's a song that completely sets you on fire. It's an invigorating track that screams, 'here I am' — a declaration of one's confidence. I wanted to give it a modern take; female-driven and a celebration of queer sexuality. You don't see that a lot of that kind of representation in hard-rock music."
Listen to "Rocket Queen" on streaming services here.
