One of the many things Loverboy did not expect to be learning in 2022 is that Mousse T’s iconic track ‘Horny ’98’ was actually about….horns?! These are the kinds of thing you learn only when speaking with theee Club anthem vocalist Inaya Day.

Having cut her first House track with none other than Boris Delugosch in 1996, Inaya continued to have massive hits with ‘Horny ’98’ and a stomping cover of Vanity 6’s ‘Nasty Girl’ which led to her being the only artist to appear on Top of the Pops twice in a week!

Today, in celebration of the legend Frankie Knuckles, Inaya releases her track, ‘Right Now.’ A vocal collaboration with none other than Robin S, the track is part of the Director’s Cut project, an album Frankie was working on with Eric Kupper before his passing.

We spoke to Inaya about recording the track, her friendship with Frankie Knuckles and how she refused to lip-sync on Top of the Pops. Live vocals or nada! The nerve! We love to see it.

Hi Inaya. What a way to start 2022 with an unexpected anthem dropped by the trinity of dance music, Frankie Knuckles, Robin S and yourself! How did you and Frankie originally meet?
Well, we’d crossed paths in the late 90s but didn’t formally meet until we were booked on a gig together in Europe. We both said, ‘Wow, finally!’ It was even better that we had to share a limo ride back to the hotel after the gig. We instantly bonded; especially after finding out that our birthdays are one day apart. We vowed to make music together (though it didn’t happen until over a decade later), and were as thick-as-thieves ever since.

How did bringing Robin S in on a collaboration come about?
We were working on my first full album and I wanted it to be mostly duets. I jotted down a few people whom I would ask. Robin S. is one of my first choices since we blend so well with one another and are really good friends.

What was your favourite memory from the creation of this track?
Hmnnnn….. my favourite memory from this track is Frankie’s reaction when he heard what Robin and I had come up with. I sent it to him via email, then he called me right after he listened and said ‘I wish we could release ‘Right Now’ right now!’ It made me happy to know that he was so happy about the work we were doing.

After Frankie’s passing, did you think the track would see the light of day?! No pun intended!
Hah! No pun? That would have been a good one! (Chuckling). Yes. Eric Kupper (Frankie’s production partner and other half of the Director’s Cut duo), Frederick  Dunson (Frankie’s close friend and executor of his estate), and I knew that we couldn’t let all of this work just sit and rot. Frankie and Eric’s music were placed with Simon Hawes and Frankie intended to pitch my album to him as well. So, since Simon had already been at the helm of the Director’s Cut project on which ‘Right Now’ resides, we all figured we’d keep the music there with Simon.

House Music has always been about overcoming obstacles. Have you witnessed a change in the popularity of House Music during these difficult last two years? 
Yes, in the last two years I see many more DJs spinning House music online. People who wouldn’t ordinarily seek it out or go to clubs are being exposed to it. It seems that its listening audience has grown. There’s certainly been a surge in Spotify streams in House music. As for me, classics of all genres have been motivating me over the last 2 years.

I first remember hearing your voice when Mousse T dropped the iconic ‘Horny ‘98’, only a couple of years ago! Were you surprised by its success? What did you think of the lyrics when you were laying them down?
Yes, I was totally surprised by its success. At first, the lyrics were meant to be a double entendre in reference to the blaring horn licks in the track. Then, they wrote verses that kinda snatched all that away. It’s still about the horns for me, though. (Chuckling)

Your cover of Vanity 6’s ‘Nasty Girl’ was another colossal hit for you. And I know you performed on Top of The Pops – a massive show in the UK. What were your memories of those performances? 
Wow, yes. My favourite memory of Top Of The Pops is that I did the Sunday show, went home to New York; then my agent called and said they wanted me to fly back to do Friday’s show! So I was at home for two days, then had to turn around and go back to the UK to film TOTP again. I am the only artist to perform on the show twice in one week!
In tech rehearsal, they gave me a dead microphone and I was like, ‘My mic isn’t on’. Then they were like, ‘You’ll be miming’. I said, ‘Oh nooooo! I can’t do that. I prefer to sing live please.’ So they had to quick-fast hook up a live mic for me so I could actually sing live. (laughing)

From what I understand Soul & R&B were really your first loves and House Music you came to, almost by accident. How has your relationship with House Music (both as a career and something to listen to) changed since the beginning of your career?
Right! I was singing on Jazz, Hip-Hop, Gospel, R&B, and projects for musicals when I recorded my first House single, ‘Keep Pushin.’ I loved House music and had recorded House demos for years, but had never released a single. Even ‘Keep Pushin’ was meant to be a demo, from my perspective. But my relationship with House music has totally changed since the beginning of my House music career. Before, it was not the music that I released, it was the music that I always danced to. Now, It’s not only the genre that I record most, it’s a 27 year (and counting) career.

I know you have your own label Ny-O-Dae Music and reading other interviews with you, you seem to have a great knowledge of the business side of the music industry. Where does this stem from?
Well, my mother always told me to know how to get home and know how to count my money. (laughing) Also, Stephanie Mills told me to be sure to sign my own checks and be in control of my own money. I’ve had the same lawyer since I was 19 years old, and he taught me so very much – still does. So many music veterans poured knowledge into me at a young age, and my experiences taught me the rest.

I know you have had a long love affair with LGBT audiences! I also know you are religious. I wondered if those two things ever affected the other or made things difficult for you?
No, the two things were never difficult for me because, in my eyes, they are not two things. It’s all one thing: human experience. Who would I be to judge consenting adults for whom they love? Now, two of my family members, who are no longer with us, and one of my church family members once refused to attend a pride festival performance that I did. I was shocked to know that their minds and hearts were so limited. The scripture teaches us to ‘love thy neighbour as thyself.’ I guess it’s hard for some people because they don’t even know how to love themselves; while others tend to fear what they don’t understand. (shrugs)

Have you ever seen a drag queen perform one of your songs? I’m sure they are performed everywhere!
Oh heck yeah. Far too many to name and I love it!

Lastly, we are named after the biggest-selling single of 2001. So we always ask what is our favourite Mariah Carey song?
My favourite Mariah song is ‘My All’. I love the lyrical content, the instrumentation, the musicality, and the depth of feeling that the song evokes. Art is supposed to make us feel something, and this song does its job well!

‘Right Now‘ by Inaya Day & Robin S (A Director’s Cut Master) is out now