Gloria Gaynor is reflecting on the enduring impact of one of her most iconic songs, “I Will Survive.”
At Lifetime’s “Voices of a Lifetime” event, held last month at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York City, Gaynor, 81, spoke exclusively with Us Weekly about her 1978 hit “I Will Survive,” which has recently experienced a resurgence among TikTok users, particularly young women.
“It confirms my foresight because when I first read the lyrics, this is exactly what I envisioned,” the disco legend told Us. Gaynor also shared her thoughts on witnessing a new generation of girls dancing to her song on the app.
“I want them to be real women, proud of who they are inside, without feeling the need to reveal everything on the outside,” she expressed. “Save something for your man. Save something for that special guy—something.”
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Among the many covers of “I Will Survive,” Gaynor noted that her favorite is Chantay Savage’s rendition. “It’s entirely different from mine. She truly made it her own, and I love her for that,” she shared.
At the same event, Robin Roberts introduced Gaynor’s biopic, I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story, a Lifetime TV movie chronicling the singer’s life and career, which premiered on February 8.
Gloria Gaynor“I’m celebrating by being here with all of you, but I’m also celebrating with my family and friends who have come to join me,” Gaynor told Us about the film. “We’re all going to watch it together. I’ve already seen it, but this time, I’ll probably be watching them to see their reactions.”
She added, “It’s amazing. It’s all about women and female empowerment. Someone once told me they were telling their wife, ‘You have to listen to me because you are the weaker sex.’ Then they heard God say, ‘You have to have weak before you can get weaker.’”
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“It’s all about recognizing the power women have,” Gaynor continued. “Not trying to overpower the man in your life, but understanding that you have a power equal to his, and together, you can be incredibly strong.”
Over her decades-long career, Gaynor has released numerous hit songs that helped define the disco era, including “I Will Survive” in 1978, “Let Me Know (I Have a Right)” in 1979, and “I Am What I Am” in 1983. “I Will Survive” earned her a Grammy for Best Disco Recording in 1980 and also received nominations for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
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When she’s not involved in film projects, Gaynor told Us that she finds much of her happiness in her “faith,” as well as “going to church, studying the Bible, writing songs, and seeing those songs come to fruition.” She added, “My happy place is home.”
