Just like we did last year, we wanted to take a week out of Jheri Curl June to spotlight the important contributions made by women artists to the genre. And how better to kick off our second annual JCJ Ladies’ Week than with the Ivory Queen of Soul herself, Teena Marie?

Initially a protégé of Jheri Curl June alumnus Rick James, Teena Marie was an accomplished singer and musician in her own right. She wrote and produced nearly all of her own music, including her biggest hit, 1984’s “Lovergirl.”

“Lovergirl” is a certified jheri curl anthem, with elements that should seem familiar to any dedicated JCJ follower: the video, featuring Marie and her flamboyantly-dressed band playing a neon-lit nightclub stage, basically looks like a deleted scene from Purple Rain, and the song’s bass and drums introduction sounds almost exactly like the beginning of Jesse Johnson‘s “Be Your Man.” But there’s also an interesting feminist spin this time around. Teena Marie is featured in the video as the undisputed front woman: not only singing lead vocals, but also playing rhythm guitar, and cheeseballing just as hard as any of the men in her group.

Ladies’ Week continues tomorrow. In the meantime, as always, check in with our Spotify playlist: