Sweet Pussy Pauline

Sweet Pussy Pauline, whose real name is Candice Jordan, is a pioneering American house music vocalist known for her bold and explicit style. Emerging from the Chicago house scene in the late 1980s, she carved out a unique niche with what are known as "bitch tracks"—house songs featuring razor-sharp, witty vocal monologues that expressed the sexual agency and confident attitude of Black women in the scene. Under the alias Sweet Pussy Pauline and other names like Candy J, Jordan gained popularity through underground releases and collaborations, including two top 25 UK hit singles with The Candy Girls and a top 10 hit on the US Dance Chart. Her tracks like “Desirable Revenge (The Saga of Sweet Pussy Pauline)” and the iconic “Work This Pussy,” remixed by Junior Vasquez, helped cement her status as one of house music's most influential and distinctive voices.

Jordan’s vocal style—characterized by a mix of a soprano tone with sassy growls—became a staple in gay clubs and house music circles, especially during a time when the gay club scene was grappling with the AIDS epidemic. Initially gaining attention with early house classics like "Why Are You Wasting My Time?" under the Candy J name, she later created Sweet Pussy Pauline, inspired by a desire to deliver truthful, uncensored narratives through her music. Over decades, Jordan has maintained a legacy as an iconic, explicit, and influential figure in dance music, her work spanning both solo efforts and notable collaborations that have left a lasting imprint on house music culture.