Chart-topping singer Cat Janice dies of cancer, age 31

American singer Cat Janice, best known for her TikTok fame and recent chart-topping hit ‘Dance You Outta My Head,’ died at 31. Her family announced the tragic news on February 29, 2024.

The singer was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, sarcoma, which develops in the bones and soft tissues. She documented her health journey with fans, starting with a lump she found in her neck in 2021. She revealed the cancer diagnosis in 2022, although that same year she said she had successfully treated the disease and was cancer-free.

Image: cat.janice / Instagram

Unfortunately, the cancer was again found in her lungs in June 2023, something she shared with her more than 1 million followers, just days before her song ‘Wishing I Was You,’ was released. She said it was “poetic” because the song was about wishing she was someone at the end of the cancer battle, but remained optimistic about her battle with the disease.

Image: cat.janice / Instagram

In January, she said her “tumors tripled basically overnight” and that she was in hospice. She died in her childhood home and surrounded by her loving family, her family said.

Image: cat.janice / Instagram

While in hospice, she released ‘Dance You Outta My Head,’ a catchy upbeat dance song, dedicated to her young song. Released on January 19 (for her birthday), it reached No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 and was in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. The song has also been streamed on Spotify more than 13 million times worldwide.

The singer told fans she didn’t have much to pass on to her 7-year-old son Loren, but she would transfer the rights of her songs to him. She also encouraged her fans to stream the song as a way to support him financially with the royalties. It was a huge hit on TikTok as people used it in more than 2 million videos.

When she announced her last song, which she wasn’t even sure she would be alive to see released, she said: "I want my last song to bring joy and fun. It's all I've ever wanted through my battle with cancer."

Image: cat.janice / Instagram

As she shared on social media, she was enjoying the outpouring of love, support, and music from fans in her final days. "Cat saw her music go places she never expected and rests in the peace of knowing that she will continue to provide for her son through her music. This would not have been possible without all of you," her family posted.

Image: cat.janice / Instagram

Janice, real name Catherine Ipsan, started writing music as a teenager. A singer who played multiple instruments, when she was in her 20s she released and performed music as well. She was from Washington, D.C.

Her husband, Kyle Higginbotham, reflected on her legacy. He said, according to the New York Times, that it’s more than a 'sob story.' "It's not just, some girl made a song because she's dying of cancer... Cat's a real-deal artist and poured every minute of her life into it, right up until the end."

Image: cat.janice / Instagram