POP singer Cat Janice was tragically diagnosed with cancer in 2022.
The talented artist has discussed her cancer battle on social media while continuing to make music.
Who is Cat Janice?
Cat Janice is a Washington, DC-based musician, who, according to Washingtonian, was born Catherine Janice Ipsan.
The 31-year-old mom has a 7-year-old son named Loren who has inspired her success.
In December 2023, she married her fellow DC musician and “longtime partner” Footwerk, whose real name is Kyle Higginbotham, per Washingtonian.
According to her website, Janice was raised by “a vastly musical family” and began playing violin and piano at a young age.
“What followed was 18 years of classical training, with valuable time spent as part of orchestral productions, jazz bands and theatre shows,” it continues.
“The D.C. music world would soon embrace the young artist as both a pop sensation and a writer/producer to watch that diversity flourish all the more so.”
“Driving with a fine fusion of emotional integrity and enchanting, energizing musicianship, songwriter and artist Cat Janice delivers a fresh thread of artistry to the modern music scene,” her website also states.
“The indie gem presents a skil[l]ful balance of soaring vocals, snappy guitar lines and euphoric synths, for a uniquely immersive take on contemporary pop.
“Proving both exciting and deeply human, Cat’s versatility knows no limits,” it continues, in part.
Janice has earned multiple recognitions for her talent.
According to her website, she received the WAMMY (Washington Area Music Award) for Best Rock Artist in the DC metropolitan area in 2019, and in 2020 her single Pricey was featured in the popular Netflix show, Selling Sunset.
She is also “an active member” of the Grammy Recording Academy, and started her Environmental Initiative, Love Earth A Little More, as part of the Global Environment Media in 2020.
Janice is popular on social media, with over 363,000 followers on her TikTok account, @cat.janice; more than 35,000 followers on her Instagram page, @cat.janice; 4,600 followers on her Facebook account, @CatJanice; and 3,600 subscribers to her YouTube channel, @catjanice.
The accomplished artist is now in hospice after having been diagnosed with cancer.
What cancer has Cat Janice been diagnosed with?
In a TikTok video from November 11, 2022, Janice explained her cancer diagnosis and symptoms.
She shared that she felt a lump on her neck in November 2021 and “didn’t think anything of it” at first.
In March 2022, she noticed that the lump was still there and that it was “very hard,” had grown in size, “did not move,” and did not cause her pain.
Janice also experienced “really bad knots” in the back of her shoulder, which turned out to have been caused by a tumor in her scalene muscle.
“Long story short, I ended up with this really random, weird, rare tumor. There’s only like 10 of them ever recorded in the world,” she continued, in part.
As People reported, Janice was diagnosed with sarcoma, “a rare malignant tumor” and went through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
On July 22, 2022, she shared via a TikTok clip that she was cancer-free.
However, in a video from June 5, 2023, the singer revealed that the cancer had come back and was in her lungs.
“I’m gonna go back into treatment, and I’m going to be really effing strong about it, and I’m gonna let you guys know what’s going on, and thank you so much for loving me,” she continued, in part.
Throughout her second cancer battle, she continued to make music and shared more videos with her fans on social media.
In a clip from January 10, 2024, Janice shared more heartbreaking news with her followers.
“I’m finally home in hospice. Don’t know my timeline. Tumors tripled basically overnight,” she wrote.
“Cancer makes it near impossible to talk. I am leaving this song behind for my son,” she continued, revealing a new song and asking her fans to pre-save the track.
Janice told People that she entered hospice once she was no longer able to breathe in the ICU.
What songs has Cat Janice released?
Janice has released multiple songs throughout her music career, including:
- Pricey – 2018
- Crypto Kids – 2019
- The Ocean (for you) – 2020
- Luxury – 2020
- Luxury – 2021
- Graveyard heart – 2021
- white shoes – 2021
- The Launch Gate – 2022
- Love Warning – 2022
- Chill the fck out – 2023
- Chill the fck out (Step Sisters Remix) – 2023
- Body High – 2023
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On July 28, 2023, Janice released her debut album, Modern Medicine.
Its nine tracks include:
- Chill the fck out
- Strawberry Morning
- Who do you think you are
- Body High
- Wishing I Was You
- Stage II
- YoungBoi
- Let’s NOT Be Friends
- The Launch Gate
Dance You Out Of My Head — the song Janice discussed in her January 10, 2024, TikTok video — was released on January 19, per Washingtonian.
The highly successful track made it to the top 10 worldwide songs on iTunes and, according to the independent music data website Kworb, it is now “the current No. 5 track worldwide on iTunes—and No. 1 in Australia and Greece,” per the outlet.
“Three weeks ago, I was in the ICU, unable to breathe,” she says. “And now, here we are,” Janice told Washingtonian.
The singer transferred her songwriting rights to the song to her son, “which means all the proceeds for the now-viral hit (along with the rest of her catalog) will go directly into his bank account,” the publication continued.
“My label’s really been amazing with this, wiping out a whole bunch of legal wordage. Every penny I earn on a song will be funneled into a bank account for my son,” Janice said.
“I don’t want to die. But I’ve had a really wonderful life, and I got to have this really incredible last moment, and I thank God for it,” she also told the outlet.
Janice told People that the idea for Dance You Outta My Head came about in the spring of 2023.
She and Loren were “bopping around in the car” and enjoying springtime through the windows.
“We came up with some fun lyrics and a little ditty. I song banked it and made a little voice note of it and as time went on we would bounce around in the car to it every now and then,” she said, sharing that she finished the track a few months later.
“I just wanted to put out something fun and positive. My art is all I have to leave behind,” Janice said.