Felipe Rose, the former member of the original Village People, released the new track for in June for Pride 2024, “That’s What You Are,” and then New York City DJ legend, Lenny Fontana, did a remix of the song and turned it into an even more infectious, toe-tapping tune.
The Village People were at the top of the charts for many years and had multiple hits in the pop, R&B, and disco genres in the 1970s and Rose likes to keep the same formula. “I like to keep that theme going when I collaborate with my songwriters. This particular single features none other than Miss Ada Dyer, who sings with Bruce Springsteen.” The singer is featured in the big dance section.
Benny Harrison, the famous session musician who is Rose’s collaborator, said he wrote this song specifically for Rose because it’s a love song and Rose doesn’t have one and doesn’t sing about love.
“Benny put it like this: ‘Look at it this way, you’re a Macho Man, ran off to the YMCA, went In the Navy, and then you Go West.’ He was naming all the hit songs of the Village People,” said Rose. “I said, ‘OK, I get it. I never sang about love.’ So, in breaking down the lyrics and where the song was going, I then realized that the lyrics do apply to me. There were many times when I was on the road and I did feel alone, you know, I wasn’t with anyone. The opening lyric ‘Being alone in a town that wasn’t home / I thought I could make it on my own’ is basically the yearning for that someone.”
Why did he decide to release it during Pride month this year? “Pride means everything because I came out during the dropping of the first [Village People] album and for me, I was not only celebrating my newfound stardom, but I’d also become an activist. The first album dropped at the same time as Anita Bryant’s movement, the Save Our Children campaign. I wanted to make it a celebratory thing because it’s my 50th anniversary and to release it during Pride month as a celebration.”
