Creativity Quote by Donna Summer

Permission is the first beat of the show. Donna Summer’s line isn’t just stage patter; it’s a small act of social engineering aimed at an audience trained to behave. “It is OK” frames the concert as a temporary zone where decorum gets suspended and replaced by sanctioned release. Summer is telling you how to be with her music: not quietly appreciative, but physically loud, uncontained, present.

The subtext is especially pointed coming from the so-called “Queen of Disco,” a genre that was never only about dancing. Disco was a culture of escape and self-invention, built in clubs where queer people, Black and Latino communities, and women carved out space to be seen and heard in a country that often preferred them muted. When Summer invites screaming, she’s widening that club logic into the arena: don’t just listen to the fantasy, help manufacture it.

There’s also a practical performer’s calculus here. Big pop concerts run on feedback loops; the crowd’s noise becomes part of the arrangement, proof of heat, permission for the performer to push harder. Summer’s phrasing nudges shy first-timers and polices the vibe without scolding. It’s not “scream,” it’s “OK to scream” - a gentle hand on the shoulder that doubles as a command.

In an era when female pop stars were expected to be glamorous yet controlled, Summer’s invitation carries a sly reversal: you’re allowed to lose it, because she’s the one in charge of when losing it is safe.