"I'm a Man" is a

protest song A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. Among social mov ...

by American singer and songwriter

Michelle Branch Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch (born July 2, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums: ''The Spirit Room'' and ''Hotel Paper.'' She won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Coll ...

. The single was released on July 14, 2022, through

Nonesuch Records Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly called Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Non ...

. It serves as the lead single from her fourth studio album ''

The Trouble with Fever ''The Trouble with Fever'' is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Michelle Branch. It was co-produced by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys and written solely by Branch. The album was released on September 16, 2022, through Au ...

'', released on September 16, 2022. The song tackles women's rights, toxic masculinity, reproductive rights, sexual harassment, and more. It was written by Branch and

Patrick Carney Patrick James Carney (born April 15, 1980) is an American musician and producer best known as the drummer of the Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. Early life Carney's father, Jim, is a retired reporter for the ''Akron Beacon Journa ...

the Black Keys The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing thei ...

Background

In August 2018 Branch gave birth to her first son with Patrick Carney. When writing "I'm a Man", Branch says, "having a son made me think of how men are taught to be from a young age and the pressures to provide and succeed and this sort of burden to be seen as macho." The song started as an empathetic view towards men struggling to find a new way to navigate in a post-‘Me Too’ world of toxic masculinity but it later started telling the story of the struggles that women have also been dealing with, "really, since Eve bit the apple." Branch asks rhetorically, "why are nearly all mass shooters male? Why do I need my husband’s written permission in 2022 to get my tubes tied? Why do American women have fewer reproductive rights than our grandmothers? Why don’t we get paid as much as men? Why do I have to teach my daughters not to walk alone at night? And so on and so on."

Music video

Following the release of "I'm a Man", the official music video was released shortly after. The accompanying music video features incorporating footage from " Silent Parade 1917,

Dyke March A dyke march is a lesbian visibility and protest march, much like the original Gay Pride parades and gay rights demonstrations. The main purpose of a dyke march is the encouragement of activism within the lesbian community. Dyke marches com ...

, and

Roe v. Wade ''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States conferred the right to have an abortion. The decision struck down many federal and ...

protest at the Supreme Court. The video also shows other footage from the ‘50s through today, highlighting the ways in which women have fought for their rights.

References

2022 singles 2022 songs Michelle Branch songs {{2020s-single-stub