A tale of two covers: Musician Kate Davis reemerges on her own terms

In the video, a young female vocalist kicks things off with a knowing smile and a walking bass line. Although dressed up in a traditional jazz arrangement, the song is almost immediately recognizable; it’s Meghan Trainor’s pop hit “All About That Bass.”

The performance is a little kitschy. But it’s also really, really good. So good, in fact, that it went ridiculously viral shortly after it was published in late 2014.

That YouTube clip, featuring Oregon native Kate Davis, now has over 18 million views. While it seemed benign at the time, the singer’s offhand decision to appear in the video would change her life forever. In an interview with OPB, the now veteran musician said the spotlight was mostly unwelcome. She endured online harassment and began to harshly question the very foundation of her fledgling music career.

“I love jazz,” Davis insisted. “[But] this is not really gripping, emotional, improvisatory, enlightened music,” she said of the viral video. “This is some shit that you’d hear in a coffee shop or that old people listen to when they’re having a romantic dinner.”

In the following years, Davis became increasingly uncomfortable with her place in the jazz world. She gradually retreated before quitting the genre completely.