QUEEN KWONG outbosses The Boss (Springsteen) on cover of “State Trooper”

“My intention for the video was to flip the male-gaze to the female gaze,” says Carré Kwong Callaway (a.k.a. QUEEN KWONG) about her new video “State Trooper.” Retaining the moody intensity of the Bruce Springsteen original from his 1982 standalone solo album, Carré’s cover transforms The Boss’ tale of a car thief’s evasion from the police into a narrative about women’s rejection of patriarchal thinking. Taken from her new four-track EP STRANGERS which contains unconventional and thoroughly enjoyable reimaginings of classic songs from The Rolling Stones (“Sympathy for the Devil”), Chris Isaak (“Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing”) and The Velvet Underground (“I Found A Reason”), “State Trooper” follows her intention of flipping the script on gender.

The video which premieres today on FLOOD, costars friend and fellow musician Roger O’Donnell (The Cure) at whose studio Strangers and her upcoming album due in 2025 was recorded. “I made this video on a whim while recording at Roger’s studio in England last month,” she recalls. “My friend, Mimi Supernova (with whom I made the ‘Without You, Whatever‘ video), co-directed this video with me. We used random things we had access to at Roger’s. We went through his attic and found old TVs and camcorders.”

The moody and imposing video takes on an even stronger resonance, pointing to an almost voyeuristic commentary on the media and its hyper focus on women and appearance, unintentionally but perhaps subconsciously alluding to David Cronenberg’s Videodrome which dealt with similar themes. Carré’s intention, however, focuses on something even more important to her involving her costar’s role. “Roger’s appearance in the video portrays the ‘kill your idols’ theme, which has recently been a common message in my art and writing,” she explains, referencing the trope of skepticism towards celebrity and fandom culture that she does a deep dive in her Substack. “This Strangers EP serves as both a personal reconciliation and a way to honor the complicated legacy of rock n roll, even as I continue to push for a future where women have equal footing in the genre.”