The song telling the "story of a girl who cried a river and drowned the whole world" has had a place on millions of playlists since its 2000 release.
Now, the classic song "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" by
Nine Days
has a new queer reimagining just in time for Pride Month thanks to Jordy Shulman, professionally known as JORDY--who last caught up with
Jewish Chicago
in 2021.
Shulman's "Story of a Boy" is the lead single of his sophomore album "BOY," released this spring to critical acclaim--and coinciding with his hitting 100 million career streams from all around the world.
The song tells the story of a boy in love with another boy who seems to not realize he exists. This "modern, queer version of the classic evokes nostalgia while giving representation and visibility to the next generation of LGBTQ+ youth," as Shulman describes it, was given the stamp of approval by
Nine Days
' original front man John Hampson, who appears in the official music video.
After releasing the song, Shulman released a sound on TikTok combining the original song's chorus words "story of a girl" and his words "story of a boy." Transgender creators began using this sound to showcase their transition photos from before and after.
"I am so honored to be a small part of this movement," said Shulman. "I am a queer man who came out at a young age, and I've had my struggles, but I'll never know what it's like to be trans and feel the hate they receive every day--so to give them an opportunity to use this song to further their voice and raise awareness is so amazing."
Shulman described connecting with trans TikTok creators over music and the LGBTQ+ experience as "one of those unexpected, organic moments that end up being some of the most important of a career."
Among his other recent achievements, Shulman has been nominated for an iHeartRadio Music Award (Best Social Star), a Queerty Award (Best Music Video), and a GLAAD Media Award (Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist).
Describing the nominations as "surreal," Shulman said he greatly admires the artists in the categories he has been nominated for. "These people are some of my biggest inspirations, so to see my name in that group of names is crazy," he said. "I'm just a Jewish boy from Chicago who moved to California to chase a dream, and it's amazing to see it being recognized."
Shulman was also recognized for his new album on
The Kelly Clarkson Show
, where he got to perform "Story of a Boy" and share some other singles including a tribute song to his sister, a song detailing the experience of being a third wheel on a date, and a sex-positive anthem.
This year, he has performed these and many other songs on tour with fellow pop artist Spencer Sutherland. In June, he will celebrate Pride Month by performing at pride festivals in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Chicago--which holds a special place in his heart in addition to his global community of fans.
"Chicago will always be home," Shulman said--and he hopes his music encourages people there and everywhere to speak up for what's right.
"I'm proud to be an openly gay, Jewish artist and it's important that we speak up for all our communities," he said.
