Paenda is a producer, guitarist, and singer located in Vienna. She is noted for her distinctive style, which began as underground indie music and has since grown into mainstream electronic pop.
In her most recent single, “Call Me Cat” she takes a satirical approach to the topic of catcalling, which has garnered much more attention in recent years.
The practice of catcalling has been under increased criticism and attention in recent years as a result of the expansion of movements like #MeToo and projects like Catcalls of New York to other cities such as Vienna and Berlin.
It was important to me to sing about things that affect me personally and experiences I’ve made. About things you talk about with your friends, I know from personal experience that you inevitably ask yourself: ‚What kind of reaction do they really expect of me here?
Catcalling is defined as “yelling sexually suggestive, threatening, or rude comments at someone in public,” as stated by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It is shocking to learn that 77% of women and 34% of men have been victims of verbal harassment in their day-to-day lives.
Even more shocking is the fact that the vast majority of harassers, who are almost exclusively male, are under the impression that their catcalls are being received as compliments rather than as a form of harassment. They are oblivious to the fact that their behaviour is both rude and hurtful to others.
Paenda, who has been the target of catcalling on several occasions, utilises her songs to bring attention to the problem in a light-hearted and humorous way. She reacts to the catcaller’s accolades in “Call Me Cat” by adopting the cat character and taking charge of the situation.
Most of the time, when you are being harassed, you just want to get away quickly. However, I do have friends who ironically got involved in this ‘attempt to flirt’. Most harassers don’t expect that and are not keen to really engage.
This is her response to the catcaller’s praises. The electronic pop song has infectious sounds and a chorus that will stick in listeners’ heads, making it impossible for them not to sing along.
This album by Paenda addresses a wide range of problems that she encounters in her day-to-day existence, including sexual and verbal abuse. She intends to inspire people to speak out against catcalling and other types of harassment via the medium of her music, which she uses to spread awareness of the issue.
Musically, the song is a catchy four-on-the-floor electronic pop number with a sing-along character. With all of this, the only question that remains is: “So you want my base in your face, huh?
Paenda’s “Call Me Cat” is only one example of the innovative and invigorating approach to electronic pop music that the artist takes. Fans and reviewers alike have taken notice of her ability to discuss weighty topics in a lighthearted yet profound way, which has helped her get a lot of attention.
Paenda is undoubtedly an artist in the electronic music field to keep an ear out for because of her unique sound and the profound words that she writes.
