Catherine Janice Ipsan (January 20, 1993 – February 28, 2024), known professionally as Cat Janice, was an American singer-songwriter. Janice wrote and sang "Dance You Outta My Head", which went viral on TikTok.
Early life
Catherine Janice Ipsan was born on January 20, 1993, in Northern Virginia and was raised in Annandale, Virginia.Iati, Marisa (January 26, 2024)."From hospice, alt-pop singer releases what may be final song — for her son ". The Washington Post.Hodjat, Arya (January 24, 2024). "Meet Cat Janice, the DC Musician Who Became a Viral Pop Sensation—From Hospice ".Washingtonian.Matter, Jacqueline (January 25, 2024). "Terminally ill musician's last song charts worldwide as she enters hospice ". Fox 5 DC. WTTG-TV.Sinha, Bias (January 31, 2024). "Who is Cat Janice and what happened to her? Local musician's last song for her son charts worldwide as she enters hospice ". SK Pop. MSN. Janice learned to play violin and piano at the age of six.O'Bier, Taylor (January 31, 2024). "She released a song on her deathbed to benefit her son. It went viral ". MSN.Johnson, Trent (December 2022). "D.C.'s Hip Sonny + Cher ". District Fray Magazine. p. 40–41.Josephson, India (March 6, 2023). "Alt Pop Artist Cat Janice – Fighting Cancer Through Music ". Jejune Magazine. She had 14 years of classical training, during which she joined an orchestra, jazz bands, and theatrical productions.""Chill the fck out" – Alt Pop artist Cat Janice fights cancer ". Guitar Girl Magazine. January 29, 2023. She started writing her music around the age of 12, and she later taught herself how to produce her own music.Loria, Keith (September 18, 2020). "Cat comes out to play ". The Fairfax Times.
Music career Janice released her first album, with her singing and playing piano, in 2014. Her second album, Fire, was more Southern rock and was released the next year. In 2019, Janice won a Washington Area Music Award (WAMMY) in the category of Best Rock Artist. Janice's song "Pricey" appeared in an episode of "Selling Sunset" in 2020. Another song of hers appeared on the Country Music Television show "Redneck Island".
After finding a lump in her neck in 2022, Janice was diagnosed with a sarcoma, a rare, aggressive type of cancerous tumor that affects the bone marrow, in her scalene muscle.Bedford, Dorvall (January 18, 2024). "Local Musician Cat Janice Wants to Leave Behind Grooves, Smiles, and a Legacy for Her Son ". Washington City Paper.Solé, Ellen (January 29, 2024). "A dying mom dedicated her last song to her son. TikTok made it go viral ". Today. At the time, Janice was working as a geospatial information scientist, taking classes toward a master's degree in coastal geology, and writing and singing her own music.
Janice had surgery to remove the tumor and had chemotherapy. Janice worked on her album, Modern Medicine, while under treatment. Janice wrote the song "Wishing I Was You" about her cancer and chemotherapy. Her son appeared in the song's video. Her song "Chill the Fck Out", released in January 2023, is about struggling with stress and feeling overwhelmed. The following year, Janice's doctors said she was free of cancer, but a few months later the cancer metastasized to her lungs. Janice restarted chemotherapy, and she released "Modern Medicine" a few months later. She performed with SOJA at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in the summer of 2023. Janice became engaged to her partner Kyle Higginbotham that August, and the two married that December, knowing her time was short.
Janice released her song "Dance You Outta My Head" on TikTok on January 19, 2024, four days after beginning hospice.Weinberg, Lindsay (February 9, 2023). "TikToker Shares "Last Joy" of Helping Son Amid Sarcoma Cancer Battle ". E! Online. MSN.Consky, Mitchell (January 29, 2024). "As she enters hospice, singer gives 7-year-old son a gift to remember her by – a final song ". CTVNews. Co-written with Max Vernon, the song is about being one's absolute best, going out, and deciding to just dance troubles out of one's head.Fraley, Jason (January 19, 2024). "DC musician Cat Janice, currently home in hospice, releases her last song to benefit her 7-year-old son ". WTOP. Janice decided to release the song independently, rather than through her usual recording label, to release the song more quickly. Online she wrote, "I think I'm being called home. My last joy would be if you pre-saved my song 'Dance You Outta My Head' in my bio and streamed it because all proceeds go straight to my 7-year-old boy I'm leaving behind." Janice transferred the rights to all her songs to her son.Greene, Jordan (January 25, 2024). "Musician Mom, 31, Enters Hospice in Final Days, Writes Song for Young Son: 'My Art Is All I Have to Leave Behind' (Exclusive) ". People. The song was inspired by a line, "Dance until you love me", that she and her son randomly sang over and over while on a drive one day.
Two weeks after being released, "Dance You Outta My Head" charted at number 37 on Billboards Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.Zellner, Xander (January 31, 2024). "10 First-Timers on Billboard's Charts This Week: Richy Mitch and The Coal Miners, MJ Lenderman, Cat Janice & More ". Billboard. The song also debuted at number 2 on Billboards Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales and number 11 on the overall Digital Song Sales chart. It reached number 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 on February 17.Rutherford, Kevin (February 15, 2024). "Cat Janice's 'Dance You Outta My Head; Is No. 1 on TikTok Billboard Top 50 ". Billboard. On iTunes, the song reached number 7 worldwide, number 1 in Romania, Ireland, and the Czech Republic, and number 12 in the United States.Robledo, Anthony (January 26, 2024). "'Motherly love': Singer Cat Janice enters hospice; last song proceeds go to 7-year-old son ". USA Today. The song won the Robert Allen Award from the ASCAP Foundation.Roth, Maggie (January 29, 2024). "From Hospice, Musician Cat Janice Releases Song for 7-Year-Old-Son ". Northern Virginia Magazine.
Death Janice died of Ewing sarcoma at home in Annandale on February 28, 2024, at the age of 31, surrounded by her family.)Greene, Jordon (February 28, 2024). "Musician Mom Cat Janice Dead at 31: 'Cat Saw Her Music Go Places She Never Expected' ". People. Her brother shared on Instagram that additional projects created by Janice would be released posthumously with her consent.Aniftos, Raina (February 28, 2024). "Singer Cat Janice Dead at 31 After Battle With Cancer ". Billboard. MSN. "Starry Night (Loren's Lullaby)", a lullaby for her son Loren, was her first song released posthumously, on March 8.Mendez, Malia (March 8, 2024). "Cat Janice, singer who died of cancer, told her family to 'keep the music going'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024.
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