In the many American states where politicians are promoting bills to legislate gender expression, the reality of many trans people's lives — that political resistance is required to merely exist — has been thrown into high relief. Music can crystallize this predicament. Mya Byrne, who is trans, wrote her new rocker as a cry against romantic abandonment; yet in light of current events, it resonates as a declaration of rage and a pledge to fight. You could call "Come On" the "I Will Survive" of early 2023.
"Come On" dropped Thursday, the same day that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed two controversial bills into law, one restricting public drag performances and the other banning gender-affirming care for minors. On that day, many Nashville commuters also found themselves greeted by a banner, anonymously unfurled over an overpass south of downtown, adorned with a swastika and words thanking the governor for legislating queer lives and helping secure "a future for white children" in the Volunteer State.
Though she recently relocated to New York, Byrne is a key member of the LGBTQIA+ community claiming space in Music City in the past few years. She's one of the first signings to legendary indie label Kill Rock Stars' new Nashville imprint — her sound blends the lyricism of troubadour balladry with door-busting rock rhythm and fuzz. Byrne penned "Come On" in a songwriting workshop, prompted by a picture of a bereft figure seated alone at a table. The verses calls out for that lover who's gone missing, but as Byrne's snarling vocal hooks a ride on Aaron Lee Tasjan's dirty, insistent guitar riffing, that surface meaning opens up and becomes universally applicable. "I can't take it no more, stuck inside alone, come on!" Byrne mutters and shouts in a tone that Iggy Pop would recognize. Pure punk in its mix of righteousness and arrogance, "Come On" takes its place as an anthem with a swagger of the hips. Rarely does a song meet its moment so well.
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