Flashback Friday: Inner City - Do You Love What You Feel | If you don’t love yo’self, then...

Inner City’s “Good Life” is not just a techno classic, a club classic, or a Pride classic, (or to some a House classic). It’s a classic.

Period.

Inner City didn’t have the longest run. But as with many club acts of the late 80s and 90s, they were able to make enough of a mark with just one song, which would go on to stand the test of time, and define an era and genre. And as is often the case with songs of this magnitude from the late 80s and 90s, it’s easy to forget that it wasn’t the only good song that act put out.

“Good Life” featured on the Inner City album, Paradise. An album which had its fare share of great songs. “Big Fun” is also my jam. But another which has had me by the neck is “Do You Love What You Feel”, which I feel deserves it’s moment. Not just as a fantastic club record, but also in the queer lexicon as a Pride anthem. Because, BAYBEE. The lyrics. They be saying THANGS.

A weird part of what drew me to “Do You Love What You Feel” is that it reminded me a lot of Sonic CD. A soundtrack of which had several pieces of music which were very obviously influenced by Detroit techno and House, specifically the works of Inner City. 

It’s fitting for me that I’d make a connection between Sonic CD and “Do You Love What You Feel”, because for years I was made to feel like I was weird for liking video games as much as I did growing up. And that I was even MORE weird for being so infatuated with the music - at a time before video game music became ‘a thing’. AND THEN in the midst of that, there was me trying to figure out who I was. To say I felt lost would be a understatement.

I honestly wish I had come along a song like “Do You Love What You Feel” sooner in life. But then again, if somebody were to ask me back then ‘Do you love what you feel about yourself?’, the answer would have been ‘No’. But thankfully I’ve grown past that and into myself, and I feel very differently about who I am now. So when I listen to “Do You Love What You Feel” I can fully revel in the song and treat it like a celebration of self and the person I’ve become, and hope to be. And I hope that when you listen to this song, you can do the same too.

Also, it’s just a fucking jam. And obviously it’s on the Black & Queer, BITCH! playlist.